Polyethylene glycol detachable graft copolymer, mPEG-g-p(NAS-co-BMA), was synthesized by grafting 2-(ω-methoxy)PEGyl-1,3-dioxan-5-ylamine onto poly(N-(acryloyloxy)succinimide-co-butyl methacrylate). Pseudo in situ cross-linking of the mPEG-g-p(NAS-co-BMA) was performed in dimethylformamide phosphate buffer (v/v = 1/1) by an acid-labile diamine cross-linker bearing two symmetrical cyclic orthoesters. The cross-linked (CL) micelles with different contents of mPEG segments represented different morphologies. The CL micelles containing approximately one mPEG segment exhibited 'echini' morphology whereas the CL micelle with approximately three mPEG segments formed nanowires. The hydrolysis rate of the CL micelles is highly pH-dependent and much more rapid at mild acid than physiological conditions. Hydrolyzates of the CL micelles formed vesicles because new amphiphilic copolymers were formed. Paclitaxel (PTX) was successfully loaded into the CL micelles and a controlled and pH-dependent release behavior was observed. No obvious cytotoxicity was found for the CL micelles at concentration as high as 800 mg l - 1.

pH and temperatureresponsivecopolymers PNAM4VBCB of N-isopropyl acrylamide(NAM) and complex pseudorotaxane monomer N1-(4-vinylbenzyl)-1,4-diaminobutane dihydrochloride with cucurbit[6]uril(CB[6])threaded(4VBCB) were prepared via free-radical polymerization in aqueous solution.The copolymers were characterized by 1H NMR,Fourier transform infrared(FTIR) spectrometry,elemental analysis,and static light scattering.The thermodynamic properties of the copolymers were studied by thermogravimetric analysis(TGA),and the effects of pH and the concentration of the copolymer on the average hydrodynamic radius(Rh) were studied by dynamic light scattering(DLS).In addition,the thermal sensitivities of the copolymers were studied by DLS and UV-Vis.The experiment data show that CB[6] beads are localized on 1,4-diaminobutane units in the side chains of the copolymer.TGA data show that thermal stability of the copolymers increases with the adding of CB[6] threaded because of the enhanced rigidity and the bulky steric hindrance of 4VBCB in the side chain of PNAM4VBCB.DLS data show that the average hydrodynamic radius of copolymer increases with the increase of the copolymer concentration and has a jump with adjusting pH due to the existing of the small size CB[6] dethreaded from the copolymer with increasing pH.Both pH and electrical conductivity curves of the solution of PNAM4VBCB-4 have a jump because CB[6] could dethread from the copolymers with the addition of NaOH.In addition,the copolymers have thermal sensitivity and their phase-change temperatures could be controlled by adjusting the molar ratio of NAM to 4VBCB in the copolymers.

We recently reported the new concept of temperature-responsive liquid chromatography using temperature-responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-modified surfaces as high-performance liquid chromatography media with aqueous mobile phases. Incorporation of hydrophobic sites is an important factor to improve the efficacy (selectivity and retention) of temperature-responsive chromatography. Toward this goal, we have synthesized semitelechelic copolymers of N-isopropylacrylamide (IPAAm) and butyl methacrylate (BMA) having reactive terminal functional groups using telomerization. The lower critical solution temperatures of the copolymers shift to lower temperatures with increasing hydrophobic BMA content in the poly(IPAAm-co-BMA) relative to that of the IPAAm homopolymer. This temperature-responsive semitelechelic copolymer was grafted to the surface of (aminopropyl)silica through the reaction of activated ester-amine coupling. The polymer-modified silica was used as a column packing material. Separation of a mixture of five steroids having various hydrophobicities was investigated. Retention of steroids on poly(IPAAm-co-BMA)-modified columns is increased with an increase in column temperature. The capacity factors for steroids on the copolymer-modified silica beads was much larger than that on homopolymer PIPAAm-modified columns. The capacity factor for testosterone at 50 degrees C was 33.8 for poly(IPAAm-co-BMA) containing 5 mol% BMA, while that for the PIPAAm homopolymer was 15.0 at the same temperature. The influence of column temperature on steroid retention behavior on copolymer-modified stationary phases was significant compared with the case of homopolymer-modified columns. Furthermore, retention times for steroids increased remarkably with increasing BMA composition. The temperature-responsive elution behavior for the steroids was strongly affected by the hydrophobicity of the grafted polymer chains on silica surfaces. Possible protein separation in temperature-responsive

Full Text Available Temperature-triggered copolymers are proposed for a number of bio-applications but there is no ideal material platform, especially for injectable drug delivery. Options are needed for degradable biomaterials that not only respond to temperature but also easily accommodate linkage of active molecules. A first step toward realizing this goal is the design and synthesis of the novel materials reported herein. A multifunctional macromer, methacrylated hyperbranched polyglycerol (HPG-MA with an average of one acrylate unit per copolymer, was synthesized and copolymerized with N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm, hydroxyethyl methacrylate-polylactide (HEMAPLA and acrylic acid (AAc. The potential to fully exploit the copolymers by modification of the multiple HPG hydroxyl groups will not be discussed here. Instead, this report focuses on the thermoresponsive, biocompatible, and degradation properties of the material. Poly(NIPAAm-co-HEMAPLA-co-AAc-co-HPG-MA displayed increasing lower critical solution temperatures (LCST as the HPG content increased over a range of macromer ratios. For the copolymer with the maximum HPG incorporation (17%, the LCST was ~30 °C. In addition, this sample showed no toxicity when human uterine fibroid cells were co-cultured with the copolymer for up to 72 h. This copolymer lost approximately 92% of its mass after 17 hours at 37 °C. Thus, the reported biomaterials offer attractive properties for the design of drug delivery systems where orthogonally triggered mechanisms of therapeutic release in relatively short time periods would be attractive.

The majority of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I and IGF-II circulate in the serum as a complex with the insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP)-3 or IGFBP-5, and an acid-labile subunit (ALS). The function of ALS is to prolong the half-life of the IGF-I-IGFBP-3/IGFBP-5 binary complexes.

In this study, we report detailed information on the internal structure of PNIPAM-b-PEG-b-PNIPAM nanoparticles formed from self-assembly in aqueous solutions upon increase in temperature. NMR spectroscopy, light scattering, and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) were used to monitor different stages of nanoparticle formation as a function of temperature, providing insight into the fundamental processes involved. The presence of PEG in a copolymer structure significantly affects the formation of nanoparticles, making their transition to occur over a broader temperature range. The crucial parameter that controls the transition is the ratio of PEG/PNIPAM. For pure PNIPAM, the transition is sharp; the higher the PEG/PNIPAM ratio results in a broader transition. This behavior is explained by different mechanisms of PNIPAM block incorporation during nanoparticle formation at different PEG/PNIPAM ratios. Contrast variation experiments using SANS show that the structure of nanoparticles above cloud point temperatures for PNIPAM-b-PEG-b-PNIPAM copolymers is drastically different from the structure of PNIPAM mesoglobules. In contrast with pure PNIPAM mesoglobules, where solidlike particles and chain network with a mesh size of 1-3 nm are present, nanoparticles formed from PNIPAM-b-PEG-b-PNIPAM copolymers have nonuniform structure with "frozen" areas interconnected by single chains in Gaussian conformation. SANS data with deuterated "invisible" PEG blocks imply that PEG is uniformly distributed inside of a nanoparticle. It is kinetically flexible PEG blocks which affect the nanoparticle formation by prevention of PNIPAM microphase separation. PMID:27159129

not measurable by this approach or, alternatively, that the liver is not the primary source of circulating ALS, IGF-I, or IGFBP-3 in humans. In conclusion, we have provided extensive normal data for a novel ALS assay and found that circulating ALS levels exhibit minor diurnal variation. We suggest......Circulating insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) is predominantly bound in the trimeric complex comprised of IGF binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) and acid-labile subunit (ALS). Circulating concentrations of IGF-I, IGFBP-3 and ALS are believed to reflect the GH secretory status, but the clinical use of...

BACKGROUND/AIMS: In the circulation, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) is bound in a trimeric complex of 150 kDa with IGF binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) and the acid-labile subunit (ALS). Whereas circulating IGF-I and IGFBP-3 are reported to be low in patients with chronic liver failure, the leve...... significant relations to liver dysfunction and other components of the IGF complex. A small hepatic extraction was found in controls, which suggests extrahepatic production of ALS. Future studies should focus on organ-specific removal of ALS.......BACKGROUND/AIMS: In the circulation, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) is bound in a trimeric complex of 150 kDa with IGF binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) and the acid-labile subunit (ALS). Whereas circulating IGF-I and IGFBP-3 are reported to be low in patients with chronic liver failure, the level...... of ALS has not been described in relation to hepatic dysfunction. The aim of the present study was therefore to measure circulating and hepatic venous concentrations of ALS in relation to hepatic function and the IGF axis. METHODS: Twenty-five patients with cirrhosis (Child class A/B/C:5/10/10) and...

Circulating insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) is predominantly bound in the trimeric complex comprised of IGF binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) and acid-labile subunit (ALS). Circulating concentrations of IGF-I, IGFBP-3 and ALS are believed to reflect the GH secretory status, but the clinical use of...... adults; and 4) ALS levels were below -2 SD in 57 of 79 GHD patients (sensitivity 72%) and above 2 SD in 22 of 29 patients with normal GH response (specificity 76%), which was similar, compared with the diagnostic utility of IGF-I and IGFBP-3. Finally, our findings indicate that hepatic ALS production is...... not measurable by this approach or, alternatively, that the liver is not the primary source of circulating ALS, IGF-I, or IGFBP-3 in humans. In conclusion, we have provided extensive normal data for a novel ALS assay and found that circulating ALS levels exhibit minor diurnal variation. We suggest...

, followed by purification through steam distillation, Cleavage studies of Leu-enkephalin anchored to either o-BAL or p-BAL handles revealed that both handles were surprisingly acid-labile and released the peptide with dilute TFA (5% and even 1% TFA in CH2Cl2). This useful property allowed the synthesis of...

This work describes the thermoresponsive transition in polystyrene-block-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-block-polystyrene (PS-block-PNIPAM-block-PS) triblock copolymer hydrogels, as observed by both direct and reciprocal space in-situ characterization. The hydrogel morphology was studied in both the dry and wet state, at temperatures below and beyond the coil−globule transition of PNIPAM, using vitrified ice cryo-transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM), in-situ freeze-drying technique, and s...

The acid-labile subunit (ALS) associates with the insulinlike growth factor (IGF)-I or II, and the IGF binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) in order to form a 150-kD complex in the circulation. This complex may regulate the serum IGFs by restricting them in the vascular system and promoting their endocrine actions. Little is known about how ALS binds to IGFBP3, which connects the IGFs to ALS. Xenopus oocyte was utilized to study the function of ALS in assembling IGFs into the ternary complexes. Xenopus oocyte was shown to correctly translate in vitro transcribed mRNAs of ALS and IGFBP3. IGFBP3 and ALS mRNAs were injected in a mixture, and their products were immunoprecipitated by antisera against ALS and IGFBP3. Contrary to traditional reports that ALS interacts only with IGF-bound IGFBP3, this study shows that ALS is capable of forming a binary complex with IGFBP3 in the absence of IGF. When cross-linked by disuccinimidyl suberate, the band that represents the ALSIGFBP3 complex was evident on the PAGE. IGFBP3 movement was monitored according to the distribution between the hemispheres. Following a localized translation in the vegetal hemisphere, IGFBP3 remained in the vegetal half in the presence of ALS. However, the mutant IGFBP3 freely diffused into the animal half, despite the presence of ALS, which is different from the wild type IGFBP3. This study, therefore, suggests that ALS may play an important role in sequestering IGFBP3 polypeptides via the intermolecular aggregation. Studies using this heterologous model will lead to a better understanding of the IGFBP3 and ALS that assemble into the ternary structure and circulate the IGF system. PMID:12297028

Understanding the ecology of the gastrointestinal tract and the impact of the contents on the host mucosa is emerging as an important area for defining both wellness and susceptibility to disease. Targeted delivery of drugs to treat specific small intestinal disorders such as small bowel bacterial overgrowth and targeting molecules to interrogate or to deliver vaccines to the remote regions of the small intestine has proven difficult. There is an unmet need for methodologies to release probes/drugs to remote regions of the gastrointestinal tract in furthering our understanding of gut health and pathogenesis. In order to address this concern, we need to know how the regional delivery of a surrogate labeled test compound is handled and in turn, if delivered locally as a liquid or powder, the dynamics of its subsequent handling and metabolism. In the studies we report on in this paper, we chose 13C sodium acetate (13C-acetate), which is a stable isotope probe that once absorbed in the small intestine can be readily measured non-invasively by collection and analysis of 13CO2 in the breath. This would provide information of gastric emptying rates and an indication of the site of release and absorptive capacity. In a series of in vitro and in vivo pig experiments, we assessed the enteric-protective properties of a commercially available polymer EUDRAGIT®L100-55 on gelatin capsules and also on DRcaps®. Test results demonstrated that DRcaps®coated with EUDRAGIT®L100-55 possessed enhanced enteric-protective properties, particularly in vivo. These studies add to the body of knowledge regarding gastric emptying in pigs and also begin the process of gathering specifications for the design of a simple and cost-effective enteric-coated capsule for delivery of acid-labile macromolecules to the small intestine. PMID:26160716

A protocol for improved extraction of peptides from in-gel protein digests, using a combination of the acidlabile surfactant, sodium deoxycholate (SDC) and C18 Empore™ membranes, is presented. This approach results in better mass spectrum quality, higher numbers of identified peptide peaks and improved identification scores compared to standard tryptic digestion protocols, or protocols using only SDC or only C18 Empore™ disks. The advantages of the new protocol are demonstrated for two different types of samples: Merino wool intermediate filament proteins and Elaeis guineensis (oil palm) mesocarp proteins. PMID:21327873

insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) with PV(pos) of 0.69 and 0.71 and PV(neg) of 0.91 and 0.92 respectively. We conclude that free IGF-I is more closely related than total IGF-I to perceived disease activity and is as such useful when evaluating previously treated acromegaly for disease...... the inactive and the active groups, we found that positive and negative predictive values (PV(pos), PV(neg)) for clinical disease activity of total and free insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) were 0.59, 0.90 and 1.00, 0.82 respectively. Acid-labile subunit (ALS) showed diagnostic merit similar to...... activity. Total IGF-I, IGFBP-3 and ALS possess a higher PV(neg) for the clinical disease activity. None of the parameters can at present be claimed to be superior to the others and thus all the measured parameters are recommended to be part of the evaluation of acromegalic patients....

Full Text Available Milind Alai,1 Wen Jen Lin1,2 1Graduate Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, 2Drug Research Center, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan Abstract: The aim of this study was to develop nanoparticles for oral delivery of an acid-labile drug, lansoprazole (LPZ, for gastric ulcer therapy. LPZ-loaded positively charged Eudragit® RS100 nanoparticles (ERSNPs-LPZ and negatively charged poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid nanoparticles (PLGANPs-LPZ were prepared. The effect of charge on nanoparticle deposition in ulcerated and non-ulcerated regions of the stomach was investigated. The cellular uptake of nanoparticles in the intestine was evaluated in a Caco-2 cell model. The pharmacokinetic performance and ulcer healing response of LPZ-loaded nanoparticles following oral administration were evaluated in Wistar rats with induced ulcers. The prepared drug-loaded ERSNPs-LPZ and PLGANPs-LPZ possessed opposite surface charge (+38.5±0.3 mV versus -27.3±0.3 mV, respectively and the particle size was around 200 nm with a narrow size distribution. The negatively charged PLGANPs adhered more readily to the ulcerated region (7.22%±1.21% per cm2, whereas the positively charged ERSNPs preferentially distributed in the non-ulcerated region (8.29%±0.35% per cm2. Both ERSNPs and PLGANPs were prominent uptake in Caco-2 cells, too. The nanoparticles sustained and prolonged LPZ concentrations up to 24 hours, and the half-life and mean residence time of LPZ were prolonged by 3.5-fold and 4.5-fold, respectively, as compared with LPZ solution. Oral administration of LPZ-loaded nanoparticles healed 92.6%–95.7% of gastric ulcers in Wistar rats within 7 days. Keywords: nanoparticles, lansoprazole, Eudragit® RS100, PLGA

Heterocyclic aromatic amines (HCA) are carcinogenic mutagens formed during cooking of protein-rich foods. HCA residues adducted to blood proteins have been postulated as biomarkers of HCA exposure. However, the viability of quantifying HCAs following hydrolytic release from adducts in vivo and correlation with dietary intake are unproven. To definitively assess the potential of labile HCA-protein adducts as biomarkers, a highly sensitive UPLC-MS/MS method was validated for four major HCAs: 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP), 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx), 2-amino-3,4,8-trimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (4,8-DiMeIQx) and 2-amino-3,7,8-trimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (7,8-DiMeIQx). Limits of detection were 1-5 pg/ml plasma and recoveries 91-115%. Efficacy of hydrolysis was demonstrated by HCA-protein adducts synthesised in vitro. Plasma and 7-day food diaries were collected from 122 fasting adults consuming their habitual diets. Estimated HCA intakes ranged from 0 to 2.5 mg/day. An extensive range of hydrolysis conditions was examined for release of adducted HCAs in plasma. HCA was detected in only one sample (PhIP, 9.7 pg/ml), demonstrating conclusively for the first time that acid-labile HCA adducts do not reflect dietary HCA intake and are present at such low concentrations that they are not feasible biomarkers of exposure. Identification of biomarkers remains important. The search should concentrate on stabilised HCA-peptide markers and use of untargeted proteomic and metabolomic approaches. PMID:26993956

The aim of this study was to develop nanoparticles for oral delivery of an acid-labile drug, lansoprazole (LPZ), for gastric ulcer therapy. LPZ-loaded positively charged Eudragit® RS100 nanoparticles (ERSNPs-LPZ) and negatively charged poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles (PLGANPs-LPZ) were prepared. The effect of charge on nanoparticle deposition in ulcerated and non-ulcerated regions of the stomach was investigated. The cellular uptake of nanoparticles in the intestine was evaluated in a Caco-2 cell model. The pharmacokinetic performance and ulcer healing response of LPZ-loaded nanoparticles following oral administration were evaluated in Wistar rats with induced ulcers. The prepared drug-loaded ERSNPs-LPZ and PLGANPs-LPZ possessed opposite surface charge (+38.5±0.3 mV versus −27.3±0.3 mV, respectively) and the particle size was around 200 nm with a narrow size distribution. The negatively charged PLGANPs adhered more readily to the ulcerated region (7.22%±1.21% per cm2), whereas the positively charged ERSNPs preferentially distributed in the non-ulcerated region (8.29%±0.35% per cm2). Both ERSNPs and PLGANPs were prominent uptake in Caco-2 cells, too. The nanoparticles sustained and prolonged LPZ concentrations up to 24 hours, and the half-life and mean residence time of LPZ were prolonged by 3.5-fold and 4.5-fold, respectively, as compared with LPZ solution. Oral administration of LPZ-loaded nanoparticles healed 92.6%–95.7% of gastric ulcers in Wistar rats within 7 days. PMID:26124659

Quantification of the acid-labile subunit (ALS) has to date been restricted to immunoassays utilizing polyclonal antibodies. By immunization with N-terminal and C-terminal specific ALS oligopeptides, we generated monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that target ALS-specific sequences outside the nonspecific leucine-rich repeats in the ALS molecule. For mAb selection, a special screening method was developed. Monoclonal antibody 5C9, which targets the N-terminus of ALS, is immobilized and the anti-ALS mAb 7H3, directed against the C-terminus, is biotinylated and used as tracer Ab. Due to the extreme pH-lability of ALS, changes in immunorecognition of ALS were investigated after acidification for protein unfolding in different pH ranges and in a time-dependent manner. It was determined that acidification of the serum samples to pH 2.7 for 30 min, followed by neutralization and dilution to 1:100 was the optimal acid-neutralization method. For standardization purposes, a serum pool derived from healthy volunteers was assigned the value 1 U/ml ALS. The sandwich assay has a working range with a linear dose-response curve in a log/log system between 0.005 and 10 U/ml. ALS levels in seven acromegalic patients ranged from 2.0 to 4.2 U/ml, and in 12 untreated growth hormone deficient patients from 0.036 to 0.986 U/ml (mean=0.45 U/ml). After 12 months of growth hormone therapy, ALS levels increased significantly to 1.18+/-0.45 U/ml (mean+/-SD; p<0.0006). The increase ranged from 0.48 to 1.4 U/ml. The change in ALS with growth hormone (GH) therapy correlated closer with the change in IGF-I (r=0.798, p=0.0057; Spearman rank correlation) than with the change in insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP3; r=0.549, p=0.057). This specific sandwich assay for the measurement of ALS provides a potentially valuable indicator of growth hormone secretory status. With this mAb-based immunofluorometric assay, the nonspecific detection of other proteins containing leucine-rich repeat

Decreased levels of GH and total IGF-I have been reported in obesity. It has been hypothesized that increased free (biologically active) IGF-I levels generated from IGF-binding protein (IGFBP) protease activity could be the mechanism for the low GH release in dieting obese subjects. However, no...... published data exist on free IGF-I levels, acidlabile subunit (ALS), or IGFBP protease activity in relation to GH release during a hypocaloric diet. The main purpose of this study was to determine free IGF-I, ALS, IGFBPs-1-4, and IGFBPs-1-3 protease activity in relation to 24-h GH release before and after...

Decreased levels of GH and total IGF-I have been reported in obesity. It has been hypothesized that increased free (biologically active) IGF-I levels generated from IGF-binding protein (IGFBP) protease activity could be the mechanism for the low GH release in dieting obese subjects. However, no...... published data exist on free IGF-I levels, acidlabile subunit (ALS), or IGFBP protease activity in relation to GH release during a hypocaloric diet. The main purpose of this study was to determine free IGF-I, ALS, IGFBPs-1-4, and IGFBPs-1-3 protease activity in relation to 24-h GH release before and after...... a short-term very low-calorie diet (VLCD)....

Temperature-responsive intelligent surfaces, prepared by the modification of an interface with poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) and its derivatives, have been used for biomedical applications. Such surfaces exhibit temperature-responsive hydrophilic/hydrophobic alterations with external temperature changes, which, in turn, result in thermally modulated interactions with biomolecules and cells. In this review, we focus on the application of these intelligent surfaces to chromatographic separation and cell cultures. Chromatographic separations using several types of intelligent surfaces are mentioned briefly, and various effects related to the separation of bioactive compounds are discussed, including wettability, copolymer composition and graft polymer architecture. Similarly, we also summarize temperature-responsive cell culture substrates that allow the recovery of confluent cell monolayers as contiguous living cell sheets for tissue-engineering applications. The key factors in temperature-dependent cell adhesion/detachment control are discussed from the viewpoint of grafting temperature-responsive polymers, and new methodologies for effective cell sheet culturing and the construction of thick tissues are summarized. PMID:19324682

Full Text Available Temperature-responsive glycopolymer brushes were designed to investigate the effects of grafting architectures of the copolymers on the selective adhesion and collection of hypatocytes. Homo, random and block sequences of N-isopropylacrylamide and 2-lactobionamidoethyl methacrylate were grafted on glass substrates via surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization. The galactose/lactose-specific lectin RCA120 and HepG2 cells were used to test for specific recognition of the polymer brushes containing galactose residues over the lower critical solution temperatures (LCSTs. RCA120 showed a specific binding to the brush surfaces at 37 °C. These brush surfaces also facilitated the adhesion of HepG2 cells at 37 °C under nonserum conditions, whereas no adhesion was observed for NIH-3T3 fibroblasts. When the temperature was decreased to 25 °C, almost all the HepG2 cells detached from the block copolymer brush, whereas the random copolymer brush did not release the cells. The difference in releasing kinetics of cells from the surfaces with different grafting architectures can be explained by the correlated effects of significant changes in LCST, mobility, hydrophilicity and mechanical properties of the grafted polymer chains. These findings are important for designing 'on–off' cell capture/release substrates for various biomedical applications such as selective cell separation.

A small bundle-sheath conductance (g bs) is essential for the C4 CO2-concentrating mechanism to suppress photorespiration effectively. To predict the productivity of C4 crops accurately under global warming, it is necessary to examine whether and how g bs responds to temperature. We investigated the temperatureresponse of g bs in maize by fitting a C4 photosynthesis model to combined gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence measurements of irradiance and CO2 response curves at 21% and 2% O2 within the range of 13.5-39 °C. The analysis was based on reported kinetic constants of C4 Rubisco and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase and temperatureresponses of C3 mesophyll conductance (g m). The estimates of g bs varied greatly with leaf temperature. The temperatureresponse of g bs was well described by the peaked Arrhenius equation, with the optimum temperature being ~34 °C. The assumed temperatureresponses of g m had only a slight impact on the temperatureresponse of g bs In contrast, using extreme values of some enzyme kinetic constants changed the shape of the response, from the peaked optimum response to the non-peaked Arrhenius pattern. Further studies are needed to confirm such an Arrhenius response pattern from independent measurement techniques and to assess whether it is common across C4 species. PMID:26969744

Silicones have unique properties including thermal oxidative stability, low temperature flow, high compressibility, low surface tension, hydrophobicity and electric properties. These special properties have encouraged the exploration of alternative synthetic routes of well defined controlled microstructures of silicone copolymers, the subject of this Springer Brief. The authors explore the synthesis and characterization of notable block copolymers. Recent advances in controlled radical polymerization techniques leading to the facile synthesis of well-defined silicon based thermo reversible blo

In view of the growing worldwide rise in microbial resistance, there is considerable interest in designing new antimicrobial copolymers. The aim of the current study was to investigate the relationship between antimicrobial activity and copolymer composition/architecture to gain a better understanding of their mechanism of action. Specifically, the antibacterial activity of several copolymers based on 2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl phosphorylcholine [MPC] and 2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate (HPMA) toward Staphylococcus aureus was examined. Both block and graft copolymers were synthesized using either atom transfer radical polymerization or reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization and characterized via (1)H NMR, gel permeation chromatography, rheology, and surface tensiometry. Antimicrobial activity was assessed using a range of well-known assays, including direct contact, live/dead staining, and the release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), while transmission electron microscopy was used to study the morphology of the bacteria before and after the addition of various copolymers. As expected, PMPC homopolymer was biocompatible but possessed no discernible antimicrobial activity. PMPC-based graft copolymers comprising PHPMA side chains (i.e. PMPC-g-PHPMA) significantly reduced both bacterial growth and viability. In contrast, a PMPC-PHPMA diblock copolymer comprising a PMPC stabilizer block and a hydrophobic core-forming PHPMA block did not exhibit any antimicrobial activity, although it did form a biocompatible worm gel. Surface tensiometry studies and LDH release assays suggest that the PMPC-g-PHPMA graft copolymer exhibits surfactant-like activity. Thus, the observed antimicrobial activity is likely to be the result of the weakly hydrophobic PHPMA chains penetrating (and hence rupturing) the bacterial membrane. PMID:27409712

The authors have studied the preparation and the function of intelligent drug release membranes by UV curing. Temperatureresponsive fragrance release membranes were prepared by UV curing process and the release functions were investigated as the function of thickness and composition of membrane. Microscopic observations were used to prove the postulated release mechanism

The authors have studied the preparation and the function of intelligent drug release membranes by UV curing. Temperatureresponsive fragrance release membranes were prepared by UV curing process and the release functions were investigated as the function of thickness and composition of membrane. Microscopic observations were used to prove the postulated release mechanism.

We directly determine the sensitivity and time delay of Earth's surface temperatureresponse to annual solar irradiance variations from 60 years of data. A two-layer energy balance model is developed to interpret the results. Explaining both the resulting low sensitivity and time delay of 1-2 months requires negative feedback

Transport affects climate directly and indirectly through mechanisms that cause both warming and cooling of climate, and the effects operate on very different timescales. We calculate climate responses in terms of global mean temperature and find large differences between the transport sectors with respect to the size and mix of short- and long-lived effects, and even the sign of the temperatureresponse. For year 2000 emissions, road transport has the largest effect on global mean temperatur...

The central theme of this thesis work is to develop new block copolymer materials for biomedical applications. While there are many reports of stimuli-responsive amphiphilic [19-21] and crosslinked hydrogel materials [22], the development of an in situ gel forming, pH responsive pentablock copolymer is a novel contribution to the field, Figure 1.1 is a sketch of an ABCBA pentablock copolymer. The A blocks are cationic tertiary amine methacrylates blocked to a central Pluronic F127 triblock copolymer. In addition to the prerequisite synthetic and macromolecular characterization of these new materials, the self-assembled supramolecular structures formed by the pentablock were experimentally evaluated. This synthesis and characterization process serves to elucidate the important structure property relationships of these novel materials, The pH and temperatureresponsive behavior of the pentablock copolymer were explored especially with consideration towards injectable drug delivery applications. Future synthesis work will focus on enhancing and tuning the cell specific targeting of DNA/pentablock copolymer polyplexes. The specific goals of this research are: (1) Develop a synthetic route for gel forming pentablock block copolymers with pH and temperature sensitive properties. Synthesis of these novel copolymers is accomplished with ATRP, yielding low polydispersity and control of the block copolymer architecture. Well defined macromolecular characteristics are required to tailor the phase behavior of these materials. (2) Characterize relationship between the size and shape of pentablock copolymer micelles and gel structure and the pH and temperature of the copolymer solutions with SAXS, SANS and CryoTEM. (3) Evaluate the temperature and pH induced phase separation and macroscopic self-assembly phenomenon of the pentablock copolymer. (4) Utilize the knowledge gained from first three goals to design and formulate drug delivery formulations based on the multi

Block copolymer micelles with bactericidal properties were designed to deactivate pathogens such as E. coli bacteria. The micelles of PS-b-PAA and PS-b-P4VP block copolymers were loaded with biocides TCMTB or TCN up to 20 or 30 wt.-%, depending on the type of antibacterial agent. Bacteria were exposed to loaded micelles and bacterial deactivation was evaluated. The micelles loaded with TCN are bactericidal; bacteria are killed in less than two minutes of exposure. The most likely interpretation of the data is that the biocide is transferred to the bacteria by repeated micelle/bacteria contacts, and not via the solution. PMID:21275041

Recent work in our labs has shown that blending of hydrogen-bond donating polymers, small molecules or nanoparticles with a block copolymer that contains poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) can enhance microphase segregation strength and yield well ordered morphologies. While PEO crystallization in these polymers is suppressed by strong interactions between the additive and the PEO segments at high additive loadings, crystallization of the PEO block in the absence of these interactions or at low additive loadings is highly undesirable for many applications. To remedy this issue, poly[poly(ethylene glycol) monomethyl ether monomethacrylate]-block-poly(ethyl methacrylate) was prepared using reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization(RAFT). This block copolymer is a phase mixed, non-crystallizable system at room temperature. We find that incorporation of organic additives with multiple carboxylic acid groups such as mellitic acid induces phase segregation in this system. Furthermore, the use of additives in which the hydrogen bond donating group is protected with an acidlabile group in combination with a photo acid generator enables photo-induced microphase segregation of the composite to yield well ordered films.

Full Text Available Cell therapy is one of the most promising areas within regenerative medicine. However, its full potential is limited by the rapid loss of introduced therapeutic cells before their full effects can be exploited, due in part to anoikis, and in part to the adverse environments often found within the pathologic tissues that the cells have been grafted into. Encapsulation of individual cells has been proposed as a means of increasing cell viability. In this study, we developed a facile, high throughput method for creating temperatureresponsive microcapsules comprising agarose, gelatin and fibrinogen for delivery and subsequent controlled release of cells. We verified the hypothesis that composite capsules combining agarose and gelatin, which possess different phase transition temperatures from solid to liquid, facilitated the destabilization of the capsules for cell release. Cell encapsulation and controlled release was demonstrated using human fibroblasts as model cells, as well as a therapeutically relevant cell line—human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs. While such temperatureresponsive cell microcapsules promise effective, controlled release of potential therapeutic cells at physiological temperatures, further work will be needed to augment the composition of the microcapsules and optimize the numbers of cells per capsule prior to clinical evaluation.

Full Text Available In the past two decades, as a novel approach for tissue engineering, cell sheet engineering has been proposed by our laboratory. Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide (PIPAAm, which is a well-known temperature-responsive polymer, has been grafted on tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS surfaces through an electron beam irradiated polymerization. At 37 °C, where the PIPAAm modified surface is hydrophobic, cells can adhere, spread on the surface and grow to confluence. By decreasing temperature to 20 °C, since the surface turns to hydrophilic, cells can detach themselves from the surface spontaneously and form an intact cell sheet with extracellular matrix. For obtaining a temperature-induced cell attachment and detachment, it is necessary to immobilize an ultra thin PIPAAm layer on the TCPS surfaces. This review focuses on the characteristics of PIAPAm modified surfaces exhibiting these intelligent properties. In addition, PIPAAm modified surfaces giving a rapid cell-sheet recovery has been further developed on the basis of the characteristic of the PIPAAm surface. The designs of temperature-responsive polymer layer have provided an enormous potential to fabricate clinically applicable regenerative medicine.

The invention herein described is the use of a block copolymer/homopolymer blend for creating nanoporous materials for transport applications. Specifically, this is demonstrated by using the block copolymer poly(styrene-block-ethylene-block-styrene) (SES) and blending it with homopolymer polystyrene (PS). After blending the polymers, a film is cast, and the film is submerged in tetrahydrofuran, which removes the PS. This creates a nanoporous polymer film, whereby the holes are lined with PS. Control of morphology of the system is achieved by manipulating the amount of PS added and the relative size of the PS added. The porous nature of these films was demonstrated by measuring the ionic conductivity in a traditional battery electrolyte, 1M LiPF.sub.6 in EC/DEC (1:1 v/v) using AC impedance spectroscopy and comparing these results to commercially available battery separators.

Full Text Available We tuned the lower critical solution temperature (LCST of amphiphilic poly(N-isopropylacrylamide (PNIPAAm via copolymerization with a hydrophilic comonomer of N-hydroxymethyl acrylamide (NHMAAm. A series of copolymers P(NIPAAm-co-NHMAAm were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP using CuBr/(N,N,N',N',N''-Pentamethyldiethylenetriamine (PMDETA as a catalyst system and 2-bromo ethyl isobutyrate (EBiB as an initiator. The copolymers were well characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR, 1H Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR, and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA. The copolymers followed a simple rule in their thermosensitive behaviors and have a linear increase in the LCST as a function of NHMAAm mol%. The thermosensitive properties of the copolymer films were investigated and demonstrated hydrophilic-hydrophobic transitions. Finally, the copolymer was grafted onto cotton fabrics using citric acid (CA as a crosslinking agent and sodium hypophosphite (SHP as a catalyst following a two dipping, two padding process. The large number of hydroxyl groups in the copolymer makes grafting convenient and firm. The grafted cotton fabrics show obvious thermosensitive behaviors. The results demonstrate that the cotton fabrics become more hydrophobic when the temperature is higher than the LCST. This study presents a valuable route towards temperature-responsive smart textiles and their potential applications.

Block copolymers are commercially significant and fundamentally interesting class of polymeric materials. The ability to undergo interfacial thermodynamics-controlled microphase separation from a completely disordered state in the melt to a specifically defined ordered structure through self-organization makes the block copolymers based materials unique. Block copolymer are strongly replacing many of the commercially available polymers due to their unique microstructure and properties. The mo...

The application of PEG-b-PCL micelles was dampened by their inherent low drug-loading capability and relatively poor cell uptake efficiency. In this study, a series of novel PEG-b-PCL copolymers methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(ε-caprolactone-co-γ-dimethyl maleamidic acid -ε-caprolactone) (mPEG-b-P(CL-co-DCL)) bearing different amounts of acid-labile β-carboxylic amides on the polyester moiety were synthesized. The chain structure and chemical composition of copolymers were characterized by (1)H NMR, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). mPEG-b-P(CL-co-DCL) with critical micellar concentrations (CMCs) of 3.2-6.3 μg/mL could self-assemble into stable micelles in water with diameters of 100 to 150 nm. Doxorubicin (DOX), a cationic hydrophobic drug, was successfully encapsulated into the polymer micelles, achieving a very high loading content due to electrostatic interaction. Then the stability, charge-conversional behavior, loading and release profiles, cellular uptake and in vitro cytotoxicity of free drug and drug-loaded micelles were evaluated. The β-carboxylic amides functionalized polymer micelles are negatively charged and stable in neutral solution but quickly become positively charged at pH 6.0, due to the hydrolysis of β-carboxylic amides in acidic conditions. The pH-triggered negative-to-positive charge reversal not only resulted in a very fast drug release in acidic conditions, but also effectively enhanced the cellular uptake by electrostatic absorptive endocytosis. The MTT assay demonstrated that mPEG-b-P(CL-co-DCL) micelles were biocompatible to HepG2 cells while DOX-loaded micelles showed significant cytotoxicity. In sum, the introduction of acid-labile β-carboxylic amides on the polyester block in mPEG-b-P(CL-co-DCL) exhibited great potentials for the modifications in the stability in blood circulation, drug solubilization, and release properties, as well as cell internalization and

Most polydiacetylenes (PDAs) have been studied as chromatic sensors or temperature indicators because of their phase transition that is accompanied by a color change from blue to red. Here, we focus on the structural change based on the polydiacetylene phase transition for a temperature-responsive tensile actuator at low temperature using a copolymer composed of PDA and pluronic in a multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) coiled yarn. In this paper, we do not focus on the general color change phenomenon of PDA. We demonstrate that the volume change of PDA in the MWCNT coiled yarn provides ∼180% tensile strain at low temperature (∼53 °C). Insertion of the pluronic copolymer into the coiled yarn composed of PDA and MWCNT caused the tensile actuation temperature to decrease by ∼6 °C (with tensile actuation of ∼230%) compared to an actuator without pluronic copolymer. Furthermore, we could verify that the large tensile actuation was also predominantly affected by the melting of the nonpolymerized diacetylene (DA) monomer and the pluronic copolymer. MWCNT coiled yarn actuators with PDA-pluronic copolymer can be easily prepared, have a large tensile actuation, and are actuated at low temperature. It could be used as temperature indicators in the food, drugs, and medical fields.

In a recent publication, Feng et al. [Feng et al., Nat. Mater., 2015, 14, 61] reported a very interesting re-entrant solidification behaviour of colloidal particles in an aqueous solution containing polyethylene oxide (PEO). In this system, a crystalline colloidal phase, which is present at low temperatures, melts to a homogeneous fluid upon increasing the temperature. Further raising the temperature, however, eventually gives rise to a flocculated colloidal phase. Feng et al. proposed that the low-temperature crystalline phase is caused by polymer depletion while, at higher temperature, an increased attraction between polymers and particles leads to bridging attractions, and colloidal flocculation. The intermediate temperature regime sees the colloidal interactions dominated by charge repulsion, giving rise to a fluid phase. In the model by Feng et al., polymers are treated as hard spheres, which interact with the colloids via a phenomenological, temperature dependent potential. In this work, we develop a more detailed polymer density functional treatment, based on a model for aqueous PEO solutions that was originally developed by Karlström [Karlström, J. Phys. Chem., 1985, 89, 4962] for bulk solutions. In this model, monomers are assumed to be in either of two classes of states, labelled A and B, where B is more solvophobic than A. On the other hand, the degeneracy of the B states exceed that of A, causing the population of solvophobic monomers to increase with temperature. If the colloidal particles are also solvophobic, then this model displays the same qualitative temperatureresponse as was observed by Feng et al. That is, at low temperatures, A type monomers predominate and one observes depletion interactions, whereas polymer bridging dominates at higher temperatures, due to the attraction between B-type monomers and the colloidal surface. Interestingly, the intermediate temperature regime is characterized by a polymer mediated interaction between colloids

Xanthate-functional polymers represent an exciting opportunity to provide temperature-responsive materials with the ability to selectively attach to specific metals, while also modifying the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) behavior. To investigate this, random copolymers of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) with xanthate incorporations ranging from 2 to 32% were prepared via free radical polymerization. Functionalization with 2% xanthate increased the LCST by 5 °C relative to the same polymer without xanthate. With increasing xanthate composition, the transition temperature increased and the transition range broadened until a critical composition of the hydrophilic xanthate groups (≥18%) where the transition disappeared completely. The adsorption of the polymers at room temperature onto chalcopyrite (CuFeS2) surfaces increased with xanthate composition, while adsorption onto quartz (SiO2) was negligible. These findings demonstrate the affinity of these functional smart polymers toward copper iron sulfide relative to quartz surfaces, presumably due to the interactions between xanthate and specific metal centers. PMID:27434760

The permeability coefficients of a series of copolymers of vinylidene chloride (VDC)with methyl acrylate (MA), butyl acrylate (BA) or vinyl chloride (VC) (as comonomer)to oxygen and carbon dioxide have been measured at 1.0 MPa and 30℃, while those to water vapor have been measured at 30℃ and 100% relative humidity. All the copolymers are semicrystalline. VDC/MA copolymers have lower melting temperature compared with VDC/BA copolymers, while that melting temperature of VDC/VC copolymer is higher than that of VDC/acrylate copolymers with the same VDC content. The barrier property of the copolymers is predominantly controlled by crystallite, free volume fraction, and cohesive energy. The permeability coefficients of VDC/MA copolymers to oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water vapor were successfully correlated with the ratio of free volume to cohesive energy.

enteric-protective properties of a commercialy available polymer EUDRAGIT® L100-55 on gelatin capsules and also on DRcaps®. Test results demonstrated that DRcaps® coated with EUDRAGIT® L100-55 possessed enhanced enteric-protective properties, particularlyin vivo. These studies add to the body of knowledge regarding gastric emptying in pigs and also begin the process of gathering specifications for the design of a simple and cost-effective enteric-coated capsule for delivery of acid-labile macromolecules to the smal intestine.

Triblock copolymers of the type EPE, where E and P denote ethylene oxide and propylene oxide blocks, respectively, are industrially important copolymers often called Pluronics or Poloxamers. EPE copolymers form micelles with a core of P blocks and different micellar shapes depending on block length...... copolymer mixtures, and evidence in favor of a multi-equilibria unimer-micelle model will be presented. Results obtained by liquid chromatographic methods will be shown and it will be demonstrated that commercial EPE copolymers are inhomogeneous at several levels and many of their unusual properties reflect...

Previous modeling and empirical studies have shown that the biophysical impact of deforestation is to warm the tropics and cool the extra-tropics. In this study, we use an earth system model to investigate how deforestation at various spatial scales affects ground temperature, with an emphasis on the latitudinal temperatureresponse and its underlying mechanisms. Results show that the latitudinal pattern of temperatureresponse depends non-linearly on the s...

Previous modeling and empirical studies have shown that the biophysical impact of deforestation is to warm the tropics and cool the extratropics. In this study, we use an earth system model of intermediate complexity to investigate how deforestation on various spatial scales affects ground temperature, with an emphasis on the latitudinal temperatureresponse and its underlying mechanisms. Results show that the latitudinal pattern of temperatureresponse depends nonlinearly o...

Described is a polyether graft polymer having improved solvent resistance and crystalline thermally reversible crosslinks. The copolymer is prepared by a novel process of anionic copolymerization. These polymers exhibit good solvent resistance and are well suited for aircraft parts. Previous aromatic polyethers, also known as polyphenylene oxides, have certain deficiencies which detract from their usefulness. These commercial polymers are often soluble in common solvents including the halocarbon and aromatic hydrocarbon types of paint thinners and removers. This limitation prevents the use of these polyethers in structural articles requiring frequent painting. In addition, the most popular commercially available polyether is a very high melting plastic. This makes it considerably more difficult to fabricate finished parts from this material. These problems are solved by providing an aromatic polyether graft copolymer with improved solvent resistance and crystalline thermally reversible crosslinks. The graft copolymer is formed by converting the carboxyl groups of a carboxylated polyphenylene oxide polymer to ionic carbonyl groups in a suitable solvent, reacting pivalolactone with the dissolved polymer, and adding acid to the solution to produce the graft copolymer.

polymer aggregates for each pH, rather than random/polydisperse structures. TEM images of the collapsed morphology showed polymer aggregates that included numerous small hydrophobic cores, demonstrating that the phase transition of these copolymers involved the formation of micelles with many hydrophobic clusters. Finally, these copolymers were used to prepare hollow microcapsules that provided an exceptional protection and a prolonged stability of an encapsulated matter at acidic conditions (pH 2) and a sharp and fast pH-triggered release at physiological conditions (pH 7). A second series of copolymers was synthesized to compose of ethylene glycol oligomers (EOm) connected in an alternating fashion with hydrophobic alkyls (EEn), (EOm-alt-EE n). Also, terpolymers were synthesized to compose of EOm connected in an alternating fashion with EEn and lysine ethyl ester (LyE), (EOm-alt-(EEn;LyE). Both copolymers and terpolymers demonstrated temperatureresponsive LCST phase behavior in aqueous solution, whose critical temperature is dictated by the thermodynamics of the hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance. In addition, the terpolymers' LCST can be further tuned by tailoring the ratio of EEn to LyE yielding dual responsive, viz. temperature and pH responsive, polymers upon conversion of LyE to ionizable Lysine (Lys). These last polymers that included ionizable units showed a reversible temperature and pH sensitive phase transition, allowing for such polymers to exhibit a phase separation with both-or-either temperature increase and pH-decrease. The extended phase diagrams, collected from turbidity measurements and modulated differential scanning callorimetry (MDSC), showed that the phase diagram remained a genuine LCST binodal throughout the complete concentration range. In addition, 1H-NMR provided additional strong evidence that the phase transition proceeded without micelle formation. Finally, hydrogels were prepared from EOm-alt-EEn, which exhibited reversible swelling

Blends of styrene-butadiene-styrene triblock copolymer (SBS) with random styrene-maleic anhydride copolymers (PS-co-MA), having different MA content, were prepared in a Brabender Plastigraph mixer. The presence of polystyrene (PS) blocks in the SBS copolymer and the high styrene content (93 and 86 w

We found novel photo-induced micellizations through photolysis, photoelectron transfer, and photo-Claisen rearrangement. The photolysis-induced micellization was attained using poly(4-tert-butoxystyrene)-block-polystyrene diblock copolymer (PBSt-b-PSt). BSt-b-PSt showed no self-assembly in dichloromethane and existed as isolated copolymers. Dynamic light scattering demonstrated that the copolymer produced spherical micelles in this solvent due to irradiation with a high-pressure mercury lamp ...

It was shown that the two-stage transesterification/polycondensation reaction in the melt, can successfully be applied for the preparation of poly(butylene terephtalate-dimethylsiloxane) multiblock copolymers. Three series of co-polymers were synthesized, using poly(dimethylsiloxanes) bearing ester (two series) and hydroxy -end groups as reactants. The structure and composition of the obtained copolymers were determined by 1H NMR spectroscopy A mechanism, i.e. an order of reaction steps, invo...

scattering at very low q, but no structure and formfactor information. However, on heating above the viscoelastic to plastic transition, the 'typical' scattering pattern of the copolymer gel builds-up. All reinforced gels are strengthened by the addition of the reinforcing agent. The transitions from a...... viscoclastic rubber to a plastic fluid and from a plastic fluid to a viscoelastic liquid are shifted to more elevated temperatures when silica is added to the triblock copolymer gel. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.......The effect of silica and polymer coated silica particles as reinforcing agents on the structural and mechanical properties of polystyrene-poly(ethylene/butylene)-polystyrene (PS-PEB-PS) triblock gel has been investigated. Different types of chemically modified silica have been compared in order to...

Block copolymers naturally form nanometer scale structures which repeat their geometry on a larger scale. Such a small scale periodic pattern can be used for various applications such as storage media, nano-circuits and optical filters. However, perfect alignment of block copolymer domains in the macroscopic scale is still a distant dream. The nanostructure formation usually occurs with spontaneously broken symmetry; hence it is easily infected by topological defects which sneak in due to entropic fluctuation and incomplete annealing. Careful annealing can gradually reduce the number of defects, but once kinetically trapped, it is extremely difficult to remove all the defects. One of the main reasons is that the defect finds a locally metastable morphology whose potential depth is large enough to prohibit further morphology evolution. In this work, the domain boundaries between differently oriented lamellar structures in thin film are studied. For the first time, it became possible to quantitatively study the block copolymer morphology in the transitional region, and it was shown that the twisted grain boundary is energetically favorable compared to the T-junction grain boundary. [Nano Letters, 9, 2300 (2010)]. This theoretical method successfully explained the experimental results.

Full Text Available Objective(sPhysiological changes in the body may be utilized as potential triggers for controlled drug delivery. Based on these mechanisms, stimulus–responsive drug delivery has been developed.Materials and MethodsIn this study, a kind of poly (N-isopropylacrylamide-acrylamide membrane was prepared by radical copolymerization. Changes in swelling ratios and diameters of the membrane were investigated in terms of temperature. On-off regulation of drug permeation through the membrane was then studied at temperatures below and above the phase transition temperature of the membrane. Two drugs, vitamin B12 and acetaminophen were chosen as models of high and low molecular weights here, respectively. ResultsIt was indicated that at temperatures below the phase transition temperature of the membrane, copolymer was in a swollen state. Above the phase transition temperature, water was partially expelled from the functional groups of the copolymer. Permeation of high molecular weight drug models such as vitamin B12 was shown to be much more distinct at temperatures below the phase transition temperature when the copolymer was in a swollen state. At higher temperatures when the copolymer was shrunken, drug permeation through the membrane was substantially decreased. However for acetaminophen, such a big change in drug permeation around the phase transition temperature of the membrane was not observed. ConclusionAccording to the pore mechanism of drug transport through hydrogels, permeability of solutes decreased with increasing molecular size. As a result, the relative permeability, around the phase transition temperature of the copolymer, was higher for solutes of high molecular weight.

Full Text Available This article presents a linear stability analysis for temperatureresponse of a heated cylinder subject to side cooling. Interestingly, this complex dynamical system has two clearly separated stability regions. More precisely, the system is stable when k>π and unstable otherwise.

Copolymers consisting of both adsorbing and nonadsorbing segments can show an adsorption behaviour which is very different from that of homopolymers. We have mainly investigated the adsorption of AB diblock copolymers, which have one adsorbing block (anchor) and one nonadsorbing block (buoy). The an

Non-ionic block copolymer systems based on hydrophilic poly(ethylene oxide) and more hydrophobic co-polymer blocks are used intensively in a variety of industrial and personal applications. A brief description on the applications is presented. The physical properties of more simple model systems ...

The energies of combustion of chitosan and its block-copolymers with different polylactide contents are determined in a static bomb calorimeter. Standard enthalpies of combustion and formation are calculated for these substances. The dependences of the thermochemical characteristics on block-copolymer composition are determined and discussed.

...-ylene copolymer can be identified by its characteristic infrared spectrum. (2) Minimum number average molecular weight of the copolymer is 15,000 as determined by a method titled “Number Average Molecular... product of trioxane (cyclic trimer of formaldehyde) and a maximum of 5 percent by weight of...

Synthesis and characterization of a series of Polysulfone (PSF)-Polyester (PEs) block copolymers were studied.The degree of randomness (B) of these block copolymers was calculated from the intensities of their proton signals in 1H NMR spectra and lies in the region of 0 ＜ B ＜ 1. It was shown that the degree of randomness (B) and the average sequence length (L) in block copolymers were relatively dependent on the reaction conditions, various feed ratios and structure of diols.The phenomenon was observed, when the PSF-PEs block copolymers dissolved in different solvents they had different viscosities and molecular conformations.The PSF-PEs block copolymers had better solvent resistance than homo-polysulfone.

We have considered a symmetric AB block copolymer melt in a gel matrix with preferential adsorption of A monomers on the gel. Near the point of the microphase separation transition such a system can be described by the random field Landau-Brazovskii model, where randomness is built into the system during the polymerization of the gel matrix. By using the technique of the 2-nd Legendre transform, the phase diagram of the system is calculated. We found that preferential adsorption of the copoly...

The invention provides a class of copolymers having useful properties, including brush block copolymers, wedge-type block copolymers and hybrid wedge and polymer block copolymers. In an embodiment, for example, block copolymers of the invention incorporate chemically different blocks comprising polymer size chain groups and/or wedge groups that significantly inhibit chain entanglement, thereby enhancing molecular self-assembly processes for generating a range of supramolecular structures, such as periodic nanostructures and microstructures. The present invention also provides useful methods of making and using copolymers, including block copolymers.

Nanostructure fabrication from block copolymers in my group normally involves polymer design, synthesis, selfassembly, selective domain crosslinking, and sometimes selective domain removal. Preparation of thin films with nanochannels was used to illustrate the strategy we took. In this particular case, a linear triblock copolymer polyisopreneblock-poly(2-cinnamoylethyl methacrylate)-block-poly(t-butyl acrylate), PI-b-PCEMA-b-PtBA, was used. Films, 25 to50μm thick, were prepared from casting on glass slides a toluene solution of PI-b-PCEMA-b-PtBA and PtBA homopolymer,hPtBA, where hPtBA is shorter than the PtBA block. At the hPtBA mass fraction of 20% relative to the triblock or the total PtBA (hPtBA and PtBA block) volume fraction of 0.44, hPtBA and PtBA formed a seemingly continuous phase in the matrix of PCEMA and PI. Such a block segregation pattern was locked in by photocrosslinking the PCEMA domain. Nanochannels were formed by extracting out hPtBA with solvent. Alternatively, larger channels were obtained from extracting out hPtBA and hydrolyzing the t-butyl groups of the PtBA block. Such membranes were not liquid permeable but had gas permeability constants ～6 orders of magnitude higher than that of low-density polyethylene films.

Block copolymers are known for their intricate morphology. We review the state of the art of block copolymer membranes and discuss perspectives in this field. The main focus is on pore morphology tuning with a short introduction on non-porous membranes. The two main strategies for pore formation in block copolymer membranes are (i) film casting and selective block sacrifice and (ii) self-assembly and non-solvent induced phase separation (SNIPS). Different fundamental aspects involved in the manufacture of block copolymer membranes are considered, including factors affecting the equilibrium morphology in solid films, self-assembly of copolymer in solutions and macrophase separation by solvent-non-solvent exchange. Different mechanisms are proposed for different depths of the SNIPS membrane. Block copolymer membranes can be prepared with much narrower pore size distribution than homopolymer membranes. Open questions and indications of what we consider the next development steps are finally discussed. They include the synthesis and application of new copolymers and specific functionalization, adding characteristics to respond to stimuli and chemical environment, polymerization-induced phase separation, and the manufacture of organic-inorganic hybrids.

This report introduces an approach to characterizing thermal and mechanical properties of viscous liquids, by using a specific set up utilizing the coupling of a piezoelectric bulk modulus gauge (PBG) and a thermistor placed on a transverse wire through the PBG. More specifically we are using this set-up to investigate the temperatureresponse to a pressure change of a supercooled liquid at the dynamic glass transition, as is also stated in the title. Physically this is achieved b...

Four temperatureresponse models were compared describing the emergence rate of Solanum sisymbriifolium (L.) over a broad range of suboptimal temperatures and at different soil water potentials. In the laboratory, the effects were tested on germination rates at constant (9.1-21.8 degrees C) and diurnally fluctuating temperatures at different soil water potentials. Linear, 010, expolinear and quadratic models were fitted to the data on rate of emergence against temperature. For model validatio...

The temperature dependence of C{sub 3} photosynthesis may be altered by the growth environment. The effects of long-term growth in elevated CO{sub 2} on photosynthesis temperatureresponse have been investigated in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown in controlled chambers with 370 or 700 mumol mol-1 CO{sub 2} from sowing through to anthesis. Gas exchange was measured in flag leaves at ear emergence, and the parameters of a biochemical photosynthesis model were determined along with their temperatureresponses. Elevated CO{sub 2} slightly decreased the CO{sub 2} compensation point and increased the rate of respiration in the light and ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) V{sub cmax}, although the latter effect was reversed at 15 degrees C. With elevated CO{sub 2}, J{sub max} decreased in the 15-25 degrees C temperature range and increased at 30 and 35 degrees C. The temperatureresponse (activation energy) of V{sub cmax} and J{sub max} increased with growth in elevated CO{sub 2}. CO{sub 2} enrichment decreased the ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP)-limited photosynthesis rates at lower temperatures and increased Rubisco- and RuBP-limited rates at higher temperatures. The results show that the photosynthesis temperatureresponse is enhanced by growth in elevated CO{sub 2}. We conclude that if temperature acclimation and factors such as nutrients or water availability do not modify or negate this enhancement, the effects of future increases in air CO{sub 2} on photosynthetic electron transport and Rubisco kinetics may improve the photosynthetic response of wheat to global warming. (au)

The temperature dependence of C3 photosynthesis may be altered by the growth environment. The effects of long-term growth in elevated CO2 on photosynthesis temperatureresponse have been investigated in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown in controlled chambers with 370 or 700 µmol mol-1 CO2 from sowing through to anthesis. Gas exchange was measured in flag leaves at ear emergence, and the parameters of a biochemical photosynthesis model were determined along with their temperat...

Intensification of livestock production makes correct estimation of methanogenesis in liquidmanure increasingly important for inventories of CH4 emissions. Such inventories currently rely on fixed methane conversion factors as knowledge gaps remain with respect to detailed temperatureresponses o...... and rice paddies (89.3 kJmol−1). This supports that the derived temperature sensitivity parameters may be applicable to dynamic modelling of CH4 emissions from livestock manure....

Purification of biofuels such as ethanol is a matter of considerable concern as they are produced in complex multicomponent fermentation broths. Our objective is to design pervaporation membranes for concentrating ethanol from dilute aqueous mixtures. Polystyrene-b-polydimethylsiloxane-b-polystyrene block copolymers were synthesized by anionic polymerization. The polydimethylsiloxane domains provide ethanol-transporting pathways, while the polystyrene domains provide structural integrity for the membrane. The morphology of the membranes is governed by the composition of the block copolymer while the size of the domains is governed by the molecular weight of the block copolymer. Pervaporation data as a function of these two parameters will be presented.

Electroactive copolymers of aniline and o-aminophenol (OAP) with varying concentration ratios prepared by potential cycling in acidic aqueous solutions of the monomers on indium-doped tin oxide (ITO) coated glass and gold electrodes were studied with in situ UV-vis and Raman spectroscopy. Characteristic UV-vis and Raman features have been identified and their dependencies on the electrode potential are discussed. Spectroelectrochemical results reveal the formation of polyaniline-based copolymers at low concentration of OAP in the feed but incorporation of more OAP units into the copolymer with higher concentration of OAP in the comonomer feed. Spectroelectrochemical features are significantly different from those of both homopolymers.

Non-ionic block copolymer systems based on hydrophilic poly(ethylene oxide) and more hydrophobic co-polymer blocks are used intensively in a variety of industrial and personal applications. A brief description on the applications is presented. The physical properties of more simple model systems of...... such PEG-based block copolymers in aqueous suspensions are reviewed. Based on scattering experiments using either X-ray or neutrons, the phase behavior is characterized, showing that the thermo-reversible gelation is a result of micellar ordering into mesoscopic crystalline phases of cubic, hexagonal...

Previous modeling and empirical studies have shown that the biophysical impact of deforestation is to warm the tropics and cool the extratropics. In this study, we use an earth system model of intermediate complexity to investigate how deforestation on various spatial scales affects ground temperature, with an emphasis on the latitudinal temperatureresponse and its underlying mechanisms. Results show that the latitudinal pattern of temperatureresponse depends nonlinearly on the spatial extent of deforestation and the fraction of vegetation change. Compared with regional deforestation, temperature change in global deforestation is greatly amplified in temperate and boreal regions but is dampened in tropical regions. Incremental forest removal leads to increasingly larger cooling in temperate and boreal regions, while the temperature increase saturates in tropical regions. The latitudinal and spatial patterns of the temperatureresponse are driven by two processes with competing temperature effects: decrease in absorbed shortwave radiation due to increased albedo and decrease in evapotranspiration. These changes in the surface energy balance reflect the importance of the background climate in modifying the deforestation impact. Shortwave radiation and precipitation have an intrinsic geographical distribution that constrains the effects of biophysical changes and therefore leads to temperature changes that are spatially varying. For example, wet (dry) climate favors larger (smaller) evapotranspiration change; thus, warming (cooling) is more likely to occur. Our analysis reveals that the latitudinal temperature change largely results from the climate conditions in which deforestation occurs and is less influenced by the magnitude of individual biophysical changes such as albedo, roughness, and evapotranspiration efficiency.

Full Text Available The interpenetrating polymer network of fast temperature-responsive hydrogels based on soy protein and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide were successfully prepared using the sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3 solutions as the reaction medium. The structure and properties of the hydrogels were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and thermal gravimetric analysis. The swelling and deswelling kinetics were also investigated in detail. The results have shown that the proposed hydrogels had high porous structure, good miscibility and thermal stability, and fast temperatureresponsivity. The presence of NaHCO3 had little effect on the volume phase transition temperature (VPTT of the hydrogels, and the VPTTs were at about 32°C. Compared with the traditional hydrogels, the proposed hydrogels had much faster swelling and deswelling rate. The swelling mechanism of the hydrogels was the non-Fickian diffusion. This fast temperature-responsive hydrogels may have potential applications in the field of biomedical materials.

Plant respiration constitutes a massive carbon flux to the atmosphere, and a major control on the evolution of the global carbon cycle. It therefore has the potential to modulate levels of climate change due to the human burning of fossil fuels. Neither current physiological nor terrestrial biosphere models adequately describe its short-term temperatureresponse, and even minor differences in the shape of the response curve can significantly impact estimates of ecosystem carbon release and/or storage. Given this, it is critical to establish whether there are predictable patterns in the shape of the respiration-temperatureresponse curve, and thus in the intrinsic temperature sensitivity of respiration across the globe. Analyzing measurements in a comprehensive database for 231 species spanning 7 biomes, we demonstrate that temperature-dependent increases in leaf respiration do not follow a commonly used exponential function. Instead, we find a decelerating function as leaves warm, reflecting a declining sensitivity to higher temperatures that is remarkably uniform across all biomes and plant functional types. Such convergence in the temperature sensitivity of leaf respiration suggests that there are universally applicable controls on the temperatureresponse of plant energy metabolism, such that a single new function can predict the temperature dependence of leaf respiration for global vegetation. This simple function enables straightforward description of plant respiration in the land-surface components of coupled earth system models. Our cross-biome analyses shows significant implications for such fluxes in cold climates, generally projecting lower values compared with previous estimates. PMID:27001849

..., distilled water, 8 percent or 50 percent ethanol, 3 percent acetic acid, and either n-heptane or an... conditions for the use of acrylonitrile copolymers have been, or soon will be, undertaken. Toxicity...

Full Text Available Block copolymers in a selective solvent have a tendency to self-assemble at surfaces and into micelles1–4. At an aqueous interface, the amphiphilic property of block copolymers composed of hydrophilic and hydrophobic segments can cause the distal end of the hydrophilic chain to extend into the bulk aqueous solution, anchoring the hydrophilic block to the substrate surface through hydrophobic segments1, 2. In an aqueous solution, micelles with core-shell structure are formed by the segregation of insoluble blocks into the core, which is surrounded by a hydrophilic shell composed of hydrophilic blocks3, 4. This interfacial activity of amphiphilic block copolymers provides their utility in the biomedical field as colloidal dispersants, surface modifiers and drug carriers, prompting many studies of block copolymer adsorption on solid surfaces5, 6, 7, 8, force measurements between tethered layers9, 10, 11 and the characterization of micelle properties12, 13, 14.

The nature of the transition in molten FEP copolymer was examined in relation to the enthalpy change, mechanical damping and melt viscosity. For a pre-heat-treated FEP copolymer sample a small endothermic peak appeared at 309-312 ℃ in DSC trace with enthalpy change 0.03-0.05cal/g. A peak was also detected in damping versus temperature curve at the same temperature range.The rheological property of FEP copolymer melt was similar to that of liquid crystal, but no birefrigence was viewed in the melt. Therefore the transition was explained as the melting of small crystallites which persist in typical copolymer beyond its melting temperature. These crystallites can act as nuclei for crystallization upon cooling.

functionalities remains a great challenge due to the limitation of available polymer synthesis and the nanoscale confinement of the porous cavities. The main topic of this thesis is to develop methods for fabrication of functional nanoporous polymers from block copolymer precursors. A method has been developed......Abstract Self-assembly of block copolymers provides well-defined morphologies with characteristic length scales in the nanometer range. Nanoporous polymers prepared by selective removal of one block from self-assembled block copolymers offer great technological promise due to their many potential......, where living anionic polymerization and atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) are combined to synthesize a polydimethylsiloxane-b-poly(tert-butyl acrylate)-b-polystyrene (PDMS-b-PtBA-b-PS) triblock copolymer precursor. By using either anhydrous hydrogen fluoride or trifluoroacetic acid, PtBA block...

Nanoporous materials are interesting and exciting materials in view of their many potential applications, especially as ultrafiltration membranes. One way of preparing nanoporous polymeric materials is to use block copolymers. Block copolymers have the great advantage that they organize them......-selves into different morphologies on the nano scale. Block copolymer synthesis controls the molecular weight and volume fraction of blocks, which determine the resulting nano-structures. From a membrane application point of view one very suitable morphology is the bicontinuous gyroid. Mechanical stability of...... the membrane and its nanoporosity is e.g. obtained by cross-linking the majority blocks and selectively etching the minority blocks. Here we report on ultrafiltration membranes prepared from a 1,2-polybutadiene-b-polydimethylsiloxane diblock copolymer with gyroid structure. Different experimental...

The objectives of this work was to: synthesize responsive copolymer systems; characterize molecular structure and solution behavior; measure rheological properties of aqueous fluids in fixed geometry flow profiles; and to tailor final polymer compositions for in situ rheology control under simulated conditions. This report focuses on the synthesis and characterization of novel stimuli responsive copolymers, the investigation of dilute polymer solutions in extensional flow and the design of a rheometer capable of measuring very dilute aqueous polymer solutions at low torque.

A construction of amperometric biosensor based on immobilized acetycholinesterase and cholin oxidase is described and its application in the detection of organophosphate pesticides through enzyme inhibition measurements is discussed. The bioactive component of the sensor consists of acetycholinesterase or cholin oxidase covalently immobilized on two types new polymeric synthetic membranes. Two types of the copolymers were used for the synthesis of membranes - the copolymer of polyacrylamide a...

Full Text Available Previous modeling and empirical studies have shown that the biophysical impact of deforestation is to warm the tropics and cool the extra-tropics. In this study, we use an earth system model to investigate how deforestation at various spatial scales affects ground temperature, with an emphasis on the latitudinal temperatureresponse and its underlying mechanisms. Results show that the latitudinal pattern of temperatureresponse depends non-linearly on the spatial extent of deforestation and the fraction of vegetation change. Compared with regional deforestation, temperature change in global deforestation is greatly amplified in temperate and boreal regions, but is dampened in tropical regions. Incremental forest removal leads to increasingly larger cooling in temperate and boreal regions, while the temperature increase saturates in tropical regions. The latitudinal and spatial patterns of the temperatureresponse are driven by two processes with competing temperature effects: decreases in absorbed shortwave radiation due to increased albedo and decreases in evapotranspiration. These changes in the surface energy balance reflect the importance of the background climate on modifying the deforestation impact. Shortwave radiation and precipitation have an intrinsic geographical distribution that constrains the effects of biophysical changes and therefore leads to temperature changes that are spatially varying. For example, wet (dry climate favors larger (smaller evapotranspiration change, thus warming (cooling is more likely to occur. Further analysis on the contribution of individual biophysical factors (albedo, roughness, and evapotranspiration efficiency reveals that the latitudinal signature embodied in the temperature change probably result from the background climate conditions rather than the initial biophysical perturbation.

We use the HadGEM3-GA4, CESM1, and GISS ModelE2 climate models to investigate the global and regional aerosol burden, radiative flux, and surface temperatureresponses to removing anthropogenic sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions from China. We find that the models differ by up to a factor of 6 in the simulated change in aerosol optical depth (AOD) and shortwave radiative flux over China that results from reduced sulfate aerosol, leading to a large range of magnitudes in the regional and global temperatureresponses. Two of the three models simulate a near-ubiquitous hemispheric warming due to the regional SO2 removal, with similarities in the local and remote pattern of response, but overall with a substantially different magnitude. The third model simulates almost no significant temperatureresponse. We attribute the discrepancies in the response to a combination of substantial differences in the chemical conversion of SO2 to sulfate, translation of sulfate mass into AOD, cloud radiative interactions, and differences in the radiative forcing efficiency of sulfate aerosol in the models. The model with the strongest response (HadGEM3-GA4) compares best with observations of AOD regionally, however the other two models compare similarly (albeit poorly) and still disagree substantially in their simulated climate response, indicating that total AOD observations are far from sufficient to determine which model response is more plausible. Our results highlight that there remains a large uncertainty in the representation of both aerosol chemistry as well as direct and indirect aerosol radiative effects in current climate models, and reinforces that caution must be applied when interpreting the results of modelling studies of aerosol influences on climate. Model studies that implicate aerosols in climate responses should ideally explore a range of radiative forcing strengths representative of this uncertainty, in addition to thoroughly evaluating the models used against

In this paper, we breakdown the temperatureresponse of coupled ocean-atmosphere climate models into components due to radiative forcing, climate feedback, and heat storage and transport to understand how well climate models reproduce the observed 20th century temperature record. Despite large differences between models' feedback strength, they generally reproduce the temperatureresponse well but for different reasons in each model. We show that the differences in forcing and heat storage and transport give rise to a considerable part of the intermodel variability in global, Arctic, and tropical mean temperatureresponses over the 20th century. Projected future warming trends are much more dependent on a model's feedback strength, suggesting that constraining future climate change by weighting these models on the basis of their 20th century reproductive skill is not possible. We find that tropical 20th century warming is too large and Arctic amplification is unrealistically low in the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory CM2.1, Meteorological Research Institute CGCM232a, and MIROC3.2(hires) models because of unrealistic forcing distributions. The Arctic amplification in both National Center for Atmospheric Research models is unrealistically high because of high feedback contributions in the Arctic compared to the tropics. Few models reproduce the strong observed warming trend from 1918 to 1940. The simulated trend is too low, particularly in the tropics, even allowing for internal variability, suggesting there is too little positive forcing or too much negative forcing in the models at this time. Over the whole of the 20th century, the feedback strength is likely to be underestimated by the multimodel mean.

Several new types of temperature-responsive ion exchange resins of different polymer composition have been prepared by grafting the products from the co-polymerisation of N-phenylacrylamide, N-iso-propylacrylamide and acrylic acid derivatives onto cross-linked agarose. Analysis of the binding isotherms for these different resins obtained under batch adsorption conditions indicated that the resin based on N-iso-propylacrylamide containing 5% (w/w) N-phenylacrylamide and 5% (w/w) acrylic acid resulted in the highest adsorption capacity, Bmax, for the whey protein, bovine lactoferrin, e.g. 14 mg bovine lactoferrin/mL resin at 4 °C and 62 mg bovine lactoferrin/mL resin at 40 °C, respectively. Under dynamic loading conditions at 40 °C, 94% of the loaded bovine lactoferrin on a normalised mg protein per mL resin basis was adsorbed by this new temperature-responsive ion-exchanger, and 76% was eluted by a single cycle temperature shift to 4 °C without varying the composition of the 10mM sodium dihydrogen phosphate buffer, pH 6.5, or the flow rate. The binding characteristics of these different ion exchange resins with bovine lactoferrin were also compared to results obtained using other resins based on N-isopropylacrylamide but contained N-tert-butylacrylamide rather than N-phenylacrylamide, where the corresponding dynamic capture and release properties for bovine lactoferrin required different temperature conditions of 20 °C and 50 °C, respectively for optimal desorption/adsorption. The cationic protein, bovine lactoperoxidase, was also adsorbed and desorbed with these temperature-responsive resins under similar conditions of changing temperature, whereas the anionic protein, bovine β-lactoglobulin, was not adsorbed under this regime of temperature conditions but instead eluted in the flow-through. PMID:26905884

The temperatureresponse on gas and water vapour exchange characteristics of three medicinal drug type (HP Mexican, MX and W1) and four industrial fiber type (Felinq 34, Kompolty, Zolo 11 and Zolo 15) varieties of Cannabis sativa, originally from different agro-climatic zones worldwide, were studied. Among the drug type varieties, optimum temperature for photosynthesis (Topt) was observed in the range of 30–35 °C in high potency Mexican HPM whereas, it was in the range of 25–30 °C in W1. A co...

A poly(ethylene glycol)/poly(L-alanine) multiblock copolymer incorporating ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid ([PA-PEG-PA-EDTA(m)) was synthesized as an ion/temperature dual stimuli-sensitive polymer, where the effect of different metal ions (Cu(2+), Zn(2+), and Ca(2+)) on the thermogelation of the polymer aqueous solution was investigated. The dissociation constants between the metal ions and the multiblock copolymer were calculated to be 1.2 × 10(-7), 6.6 × 10(-6), and 1.2 × 10(-4) M for Cu(2+), Zn(2+), and Ca(2+), respectively, implying that the binding affinity of the multiblock copolymer for Cu(2+) is much greater than that for Zn(2+) or Ca(2+). Atomic force microscopy and dynamic light scattering of the multiblock copolymer containing metal ions suggested micelle formation at low temperature, which aggregated as the temperature increased. Circular dichroism spectra suggested that changes in the α-helical secondary structure of the multiblock copolymer were more pronounced by adding Cu(2+) than other metal ions. The thermogelation of the multiblock copolymer aqueous solution containing Cu(2+) was observed at a lower temperature, and the modulus of the gel was significantly higher than that of the system containing Ca(2+) or Zn(2+), in spite of the same concentration of the metal ions and their same ionic valence of +2. The above results suggested that strong ionic complexes between Cu(2+) and the multiblock copolymer not only affected the secondary structure of the polymer but also facilitated the thermogelation of the polymer aqueous solution through effective salt-bridge formation even in a millimolar range of the metal ion concentration. Therefore, binding affinity of metal ions for polymers should be considered first in designing an effective ion/temperature dual stimuli-sensitive polymer. PMID:25178662

A novel kind of cell-like particles as temperature-responsive catalysts was presented in this paper. First, uniform α-Fe₂O₃shuttle-like nanoparticles were prepared by homogeneous hydrolysis. Then, these α-Fe₂O₃particles were coated by Au nanoparticles (AuNPs), SiO₂and poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM), respectively. After the removal of SiO₂layer by etching with HF solution, the cell-like particles were prepared when the α-Fe₂O₃, AuNPs, and PNIPAM were as cell nucleus, catalysts, and cell membranes, respectively. These cell-like particles showed a novel temperature-responsively catalytic performance because the PNIPAM shell could change its hydrophilicity and swelling capacity under different temperature. When the temperature was 25°C, the yield of 4-aminophenol (4-AP) from 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) by reduction of NaBH₄was about 100% in 15 min, while the yield of 4-AP was about 90.5% in 40 min. when the temperature was 40°C. PMID:25262506

The temperatureresponses of aluminum nitride (AlN) based surface acoustic wave resonator (SAWR) are modeled and tested. The modeling of the electrical performance is based on a modified equivalent circuit model introduced in this work. For SAWR consisting of piezoelectric film and semiconducting substrate, parasitic parameters from the substrate is taken into consideration for the modeling. By utilizing the modified model, the high temperature electrical performance of the AlN/Si and AlN/6H-SiC based SAWRs can be predicted, indicating that a substrate with a wider band gap will lead to a more stable high temperature behavior, which is further confirmed experimentally by high temperature testing from 300 K to 725 K with SAWRs having a wavelength of 12 μm. Temperatureresponses of SAWR's center frequency are also calculated and tested, with experimental temperature coefficient factors (TCF) of center frequency being -29 ppm/K and -26 ppm/K for the AlN/Si and AlN/6H-SiC based SAWRs, which are close to the predicted values. PMID:27483286

As the size scale of device features becomes increasingly smaller, conventional lithographic processes become increasingly more difficult and expensive, especially at a minimum feature size of less than 50 nm. Consequently, to achieve higher density circuits, storage devices or displays, it is evident that alternative routes need to be developed to circumvent both cost and manufacturing issues. An ideal process would be compatible with existing technological processes/manufacturing techniques and these strategies, together with novel materials, could allow significant advances to be made in meeting both short-term and long-term demands for higher density and faster devices. The self-assembly of block copolymers (BCP), two polymer chains covalently linked together at one end, provides a robust solution to these challenges. As thin films, immiscible BCP self-assemble into a range of highly-ordered morphologies where with size scale of the features is limited to the size of the polymers chains and are, therefore, nanoscopic in size. While self-assembly alone is sufficient for a number of applications in fabricating advanced microelectronics, directed self-orienting self-assembly processes are also required to produce complex devices with the required density and addressability of elements to meet future demands. By combining tailored self-assembly processes, a bottom-up approach, with micro-fabrication processes, a top-down approach, the ever-present thirst of the consumer for faster, better and cheaper devices can be met in very simple, yet robust, ways.

An aqueous polymer flood containing sulfomethylated alkali metal vinyl sulfonate-acrylamide copolymers was proposed for use in secondary or tertiary enhanced oil recovery. The sulfonate groups on the copolymers sustain the viscosity of the flood in the presence of brine and lime. Injection of the copolymer solution into a waterflooded Berea core, produced 30.5 percent of the residual oil. It is preferred that the copolymers are partially hydrolyzed.

Supramolecular copolymers have become of increasing interest in recent years for the search of new materials with tunable properties. In particular, metallo-supramolecular block copolymers have seen important progresses since the last ﬁve years. In this thesis, a library of metallo-supramolecular amphiphilic block copolymers containing a hydrophilic block, linked to a hydrophobic block, through a metal-ligand complex has been investigated. The micelles formed in water from these copolymers...

Diblock copolymers, which form micelle structures in selective solvents, offer advantages of robustness and tunability of micelle characteristics as compared to small molecule surfactants. Diblock copolymer micelles in water have been a subject of great interest in drug delivery applications based on their high loading capacity and targeted drug delivery. The aim of this work is to understand the dynamic processes which underlie the self-assembly of diblock copolymer micelle systems which have a semi-crystalline core. Due to the large size of the molecules, the self-assembly of block copolymer micelles occurs on significantly longer time scales than small molecule analogues. The present work focuses on amphiphilic diblock copolymers containing blocks of poly(ethylene oxide) (a hydrophilic polymer) and polycaprolactone (a hydrophobic, semi-crystalline polymer), which spontaneously self-assemble into spherical micelles in water. A variety of experimental techniques are used to probe the kinetic processes relevant to micelle self-assembly, including time-resolved neutron scattering, dynamic light scattering, pulsed field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance, and fluorescence resonance energy transfer experiments.

General formulae allowing the evaluation of the form factors of cyclic block copolymers are established and graphs for cyclic copolymers of the form (A-B)(N) are shown. When N is large, the linear and the cyclic copolymer have the same behaviour. It is possible to extend at large angle an analytical

Blends of styrene-butadiene-styrene triblock copolymer (SBS) with random styrene-maleic anhydride copolymers (PS-co-MA), having different MA content, were prepared in a Brabender Plastigraph mixer. The presence of polystyrene (PS) blocks in the SBS copolymer and the high styrene content (93 and 86 wt.-%, respectively) in the two kinds of used PS-co-MA samples afforded a good compatibility between the PS phases of the two polymers. On the other hand, the presence of polar anhydride groups allo...

Triblock copolymers of the type EPE, where E and P denote ethylene oxide and propylene oxide blocks, respectively, are used widely in industry as emulsifiers, anti-foaming agents, and in delayed drug release. EPE copolymers form micelles with a core of P blocks and different micellar shapes...... depending on block length ratios and temperature. The micellization process with increasing temperature or concentration has been followed by a number of techniques including differential scanning calorimetry and surface tension measurements. The detailed micellar mechanism is not well understood and...... different models have been proposed. Results obtained by a range of liquid chromatographic methods will be shown and it will be demonstrated that commercial EPE copolymers are inhomogeneous at several levels and many of their unusual properties reflect the presence of impurities....

Full Text Available A construction of amperometric biosensor based on immobilized acetycholinesterase and cholin oxidase is described and its application in the detection of organophosphate pesticides through enzyme inhibition measurements is discussed. The bioactive component of the sensor consists of acetycholinesterase or cholin oxidase covalently immobilized on two types new polymeric synthetic membranes. Two types of the copolymers were used for the synthesis of membranes - the copolymer of polyacrylamide and acrylonitrile and the new copolymer of poly- (hexanlactam-co-block-poly-(delta-valerolactone with aliphatic polyester. It is investigated the technical characteristics of biosensor like, response time, linear range and operating stability. The factors affecting the inhibition and reactivation processes were investigated too.

The thermodynamic interactions in anionically synthesized poly(styrene-block-ferrocenyldimethylsilane) (SF) copolymers were examined using birefringence, small angle X-ray and neutron scattering (SAXS and SANS). We show that birefringence detection of the order-disorder transition is possible in colored samples provided the wavelength of the incident beam is in the tail of the absorption spectrum. The location of the order-disorder transition was confirmed by SAXS. The temperature-dependence of the Flory-Huggins parameter, χ, of SF copolymers, determined by SAXS, is similar in magnitude to that between polystyrene and polyisoprene chains. We find that χ is independent of block copolymer composition (within experimental error). We also demonstrate that the neutron scattering length densities of styrene and ferrocenyldimethylsilane moieties are identical due to a surprising cancellation of factors related to density and atomic composition

Full Text Available In dilute aqueous solutions certain amphiphilic block copolymers self-assemble into vesicles that enclose a small pool of water with a membrane. Such polymersomes have promising applications ranging from targeted drug-delivery devices, to biosensors, and nanoreactors. Interactions between block copolymer membranes and their surroundings are important factors that determine their potential biomedical applications. Such interactions are influenced predominantly by the membrane surface. We review methods to functionalize block copolymer vesicle surfaces by chemical means with ligands such as antibodies, adhesion moieties, enzymes, carbohydrates and fluorophores. Furthermore, surface-functionalization can be achieved by self-assembly of polymers that carry ligands at their chain ends or in their hydrophilic blocks. While this review focuses on the strategies to functionalize vesicle surfaces, the applications realized by, and envisioned for, such functional polymersomes are also highlighted.

High temperature polymer foams were prepared using microphase separated block copolymers where the major component is thermally stable block and the minor component is thermally labile. Upon thermal treatment, the dispersed minor component undergoes thermolysis leaving pores the size and shape of which are dictated by the initial copolymer morphology. The driving force behind the survey of aliphatic polyesters as possible labile blocks stems from their quantitative degradation into low boiling, polar degradation products via a backbiting process. Block copolymers were prepared using either a monofunctional caprolactone or a valerolactone oligomer and a high T. polyimide. Microphase morphologies were observed in each case. Thermal decomposition of the polyester blocks was accomplished by a thermal treatment at 370{degrees}C for 5 h. Significant density reductions were measured, and the resulting foams showed pore sizes in the 60-70 {Angstrom} range.

The method for producing copolymer EPAA of exopolysaccharide (EPS)--polyacrylamide (PAA) has been presented which was based on microbial exopolysaccharides (enposane, xampane), their mixture and model EPS (xanthane sigma, rodopol P-23). The copolymer was produced by acrylamide polymerization in 1-2% water solutions of polysaccharides, the concentration of acrylamide in the reaction mixture being 4.7-2% and that of polysaccharides 0.1-1% of the weight. Hydrodynamic parameters of the studied polymers have been determined, their heterogenity as to molecular-weight characteristics has been demonstrated. Molecular-weight distribution of copolymers showed that the content of low-molecular fractions decreased, thus the Mw values were (0.08-0.2) x 10(6) Da in contrast to that of exopolysaccharides possessing Mw (1.2-0.4) x 10(6) Da and of polyacrylamide possessing Mw within (2-30) x 10(6) Da. The value of efficient viscosity of copolymers ranged from 120 to 131 mPa.s that was lower than that of polyacrylamide (500 mPa.s), and higher than that of exopolysaccharides (42 mPa.s), and it depended on the sample, raw material, production conditions. A possibility has been shown to produce a new copolymer based on microbial polysaccharides enposane and xampane in the process of acrylamide polymerization. It has been found out that the studied copolymers EPAA differ from initial ones as to their hydrodynamical properties, which determines their preference: better solubility, good glueing properties, prolonged term of preservation, resistance to bacterial pollution. PMID:11300081

In this study, we presented the calculated results of the containment P/T (pressure and temperature) response after the recirculation line break (RCLB) accident of a GE-designed twin-unit BWR/6 plant, which can be served as the design basis for the containment system. During the simulation, a power of SPU (stretch power uprate) range was used and a model of the Mark III type containment was built using the GOTHIC (Generation of Thermal-Hydraulic Information for Containments) code. The calculated results, similar to the FSAR (Final Safety Analysis Report) results, indicate the GOTHIC code has the capability to simulate the containment P/T response to the RCLB accident. (author)

Unsteady-state operations are known to enhance the performance of some packed-bed reactor systems. However, negative effects of this type of operation should not be neglected. Temperature excursions developed during transients may accelerate some deactivation mechanisms, reducing catalyst lifetime and selectivity. Temperatureresponse to perturbations in reactant concentration was studied for CO oxidation over Pt/Al2O3, in a packed-bed reactor. Experiments were conducted in the CO concentration range for which multiple steady states are observed. Temperature and concentration profiles in the packed-bed reactor at steady state were found to depend on the dynamic history of the reactor prior to the steady-state condition. (author)

Many temperature indicators or sensors show color changes for materials used in food and medical fields. However, they are not helpful for a color-blind person or children who lack judgment. In this paper, we introduce simply fabricated and more useful low-temperature indicator (*30 ?C) for devices that actuates using paraffin-infiltrated multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) coiled yarn. The density difference of MWCNT yarn provides large strain (*330%) when heat causes the melted polymer to move. Furthermore, the MWCNT yarn decreases the melting point of paraffin. These properties allow control of the actuating temperature. In addition, mechanical strength was enhanced by MWCNT than previously reported temperature-responsive actuators based on shape memory polymers. This simply fabricated temperature indicator can be applied in latching devices for medical and biological fields.

A detailed study of the dynamics of cadmium sulfide nanoparticles suspended in polystyrene homopolymer matrices was carried out using X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy for temperatures between 120 and 180 °C. For low molecular weight polystyrene homopolymers, the observed dynamics show a crossover from diffusive to hyper-diffusive behavior with decreasing temperatures. For higher molecular weight polystyrene, the nanoparticle dynamics appear hyper-diffusive at all temperatures studied. The relaxation time and characteristic velocity determined from the measured hyper-diffusive dynamics reveal that the activation energy and underlying forces determined are on the order of 2.14 × 10-19 J and 87 pN, respectively. We also carried out a detailed X-ray scattering study of the static and dynamic behavior of a styrene– isoprene diblock copolymer melt with a styrene volume fraction of 0.3468. At 115 and 120 °C, we observe splitting of the principal Bragg peak, which we attribute to phase coexistence of hexagonal cylindrical and cubic double- gyroid structure. In the disordered phase, above 130 °C, we have characterized the dynamics of composition fluctuations via X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy. Near the peak of the static structure factor, these fluctuations show stretched-exponential relaxations, characterized by a stretching exponent of about 0.36 for a range of temperatures immediately above the MST. The corresponding characteristic relaxation times vary exponentially with temperature, changing by a factor of 2 for each 2 °C change in temperature. At low wavevectors, the measured relaxations are diffusive with relaxation times that change by a factor of 2 for each 8 °C change in temperature.

Microorganisms use exoenzymes to decay soil organic matter into assimilable substrates, some of which are transformed into CO2. Microbial CO2 efflux contributes up to 60% of soil respiration, a feature that can change with temperature due to altered exoenzyme activities (short-term) and microbial communities producing different exoenzymes (longer-term). Often, however, microbial temperatureresponses are masked by factors that also change with temperature in soil, making accurate projections of microbial CO2 efflux with warming challenging. Using soils along a natural climate gradient similar in most respects except for temperature regime (Newfoundland Labrador Boreal Ecosystem Latitudinal Transect), we investigated short-vs. long-term temperatureresponses of microbially-mediated organic matter transformations. While incubating soils at 5, 15, and 25°C for 84 days, we measured exoenzyme activities, CO2 efflux rates and biomass, and extracted DNA at multiple times. We hypothesized that short-term, temperature-induced increases in exoenzyme activities and CO2 losses would be smaller in soils from warmer regions, because microbes presumably adapted to warmer regions should use assimilable substrates more efficiently and thus produce exoenzymes at a lower rate. While incubation temperature generally induced greater exoenzyme activities (pDNA sequencing will reveal how microbial community abundance and composition change with short-vs. longer-term temperature change. Though short-term microbial responses to temperature suggest higher CO2 efflux and thus lower efficiency of resource use with warming, longer-term adaptations of microbial communities to warmer climates remain unknown; this work helps fill that knowledge gap.

Full Text Available Models of carbon cycling in terrestrial ecosystems contain formulations for the dependence of respiration on temperature, but the sensitivity of predicted carbon pools and fluxes to these formulations and their parameterization is not understood. Thus, we made an uncertainty analysis of soil organic matter decomposition with respect to its temperature dependency using the ecosystem model LPJ-GUESS.

We used five temperatureresponse functions (Exponential, Arrhenius, Lloyd-Taylor, Gaussian, Van't Hoff. We determined the parameter uncertainty ranges of the functions by nonlinear regression analysis based on eight experimental datasets from northern hemisphere ecosystems. We sampled over the uncertainty bounds of the parameters and run simulations for each pair of temperatureresponse function and calibration site. The uncertainty in both long-term and short-term soil carbon dynamics was analyzed over an elevation gradient in southern Switzerland.

The function of Lloyd-Taylor turned out to be adequate for modelling the temperature dependency of soil organic matter decomposition, whereas the other functions either resulted in poor fits (Exponential, Arrhenius or were not applicable for all datasets (Gaussian, Van't Hoff. There were two main sources of uncertainty for model simulations: (1 the uncertainty in the parameter estimates of the response functions, which increased with increasing temperature and (2 the uncertainty in the simulated size of carbon pools, which increased with elevation, as slower turn-over times lead to higher carbon stocks and higher associated uncertainties. The higher uncertainty in carbon pools with slow turn-over rates has important implications for the uncertainty in the projection of the change of soil carbon stocks driven by climate change, which turned out to be more uncertain for higher elevations and hence higher latitudes, which are of key importance for the global terrestrial carbon

Symmetric diblock copolymers confined between two solid surfaces were studied by neutron reflectivity. A multilayered morphology with an integral number of layers oriented parallel to the solid interfaces was found in all cases. The period of the confined multilayers deviated from the bulk period in a cyclic manner as a function of the confined film thickness. A first-order transition occurred between the expanded and contracted states of the copolymer chains. The data suggest that the deviation of the period from the bulk value decreases with increasing separation distance

Embodiments include a sensor comprising a co-polymer, the co-polymer comprising a first monomer and a second monomer. For some embodiments, the first monomer is poly-4-vinyl pyridine, and the second monomer is poly-4-vinyl pyridinium propylamine chloride. For some embodiments, the first monomer is polystyrene and the second monomer is poly-2-vinyl pyridinium propylamine chloride. For some embodiments, the first monomer is poly-4-vinyl pyridine, and the second monomer is poly-4-vinyl pyridinium benzylamine chloride. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

simplifies the main stream BC lithography process, showing a broad substrate tolerance and allowing for efficient pattern transfer over wafer scale. PDMS-rich poly(styrene-b-dimethylsiloxane) (PS-b-PDMS) copolymers are directly applied on substrates including polymers, silicon and graphene. A single oxygen......Block copolymer (BC) self-assembly constitutes a powerful platform for nanolithography. However, there is a need for a general approach to BC lithography that critically considers all the steps from substrate preparation to the final pattern transfer. We present a procedure that significantly...... plasma treatment enables formation of the oxidized PDMS hard mask, PS block removal and polymer or graphene substrate patterning....

A series of vinylidene dichloride (VDC) copolymers with methyl acrylate (MA) as comonomer (3-12 wt%), was prepared by free-radical suspension copolymerization. The permeability coefficients of the copolymers to oxygen and carbon dioxide were measured at1.0 MPa and at 30℃, and those to water vapor were measured at 30℃ and 100% relative humidity. All the VDC/MA copolymers studied are semicrystalline. As the MA content increases, the permeability coefficients of the copolymers to oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water vapor are progressively increased, caused by decrease in crystalline fraction and increase in free volume of VDC/MA copolymers.

Here we show how to control molecular interactions via mixing AB and AC diblock copolymers, where one copolymer exhibits upper order-disorder transition and the other does lower disorder-order transition. Linear ABC triblock copolymers possessing both barotropic and baroplastic pairs are also taken into account. A recently developed random-phase approximation (RPA) theory and the self-consistent field theory (SCFT) for general compressible mixtures are used to analyze stability criteria and morphologies for the given systems. It is demonstrated that the copolymer systems can yield a variety of phase behaviors in their temperature and pressure dependence upon proper mixing conditions and compositions, which is caused by the delicate force fields generated in the systems. We acknowledge the financial support from National Research Foundation of Korea and Center for Photofunctional Energy Materials.

The aim of this work is to produce polymer modifiers in order to develop hydrophilic polymeric surfaces for use in microfluidics. The use of hydrophilic polymers in microfluidics will have many advantages e.g. preventing protein absorbance. Here we present an amphiphilic diblock copolymer...... consisting of a bulk material compatible block and a hydrophilic block. To utilize the possibility of incorporating diblock copolymers into ethylenenorbornene copolymers, we have in this work developed a model poly(ethylene-1-butene) polymer compatible with the commercial available ethylene......-norbornene copolymer TOPAS. Through matching of the radius of gyration for the model polymer and TOPAS the miscibility was achieved. The poly(ethylene-1-butene) polymer was synthesized from a hydrogenated anionic polymerized polybutadiene polymer. As hydrophilic block poly(ethylene oxide) was subsequently added also...

Full Text Available Response functions used in crop simulation models are usually different for different physiological processes and cultivars, resulting in many unknown coefficients in the response functions. This is the case of African violet (Saintpaulia ionantha Wendl., where a generalized temperatureresponse for leaf growth and development has not been developed yet. The objective of this study was to develop a generalized nonlinear temperatureresponse function for leaf appearance rate and leaf elongation rate in African violet. The nonlinear function has three coefficients, which are the cardinal temperatures (minimum, optimum, and maximum temperatures. These coefficients were defined as 10, 24, and 33ºC, based on the cardinal temperatures of other tropical species. Data of temperatureresponse of leaf appearance rate and leaf elongation rate in African violet, cultivar Utah, at different light levels, which are from published research, were used as independent data for evaluating the performance of the nonlinear temperatureresponse function. The results showed that a generalized nonlinear response function can be used to describe the temperatureresponse of leaf growth and development in African violet. These results imply that a reduction in the number of input data required in African violet simulation models is possible.

Temperature and concentration dependencies of the degree of order in ABA triblock copolymer gels are discussed. Two factors can influence the ordering phenomena: the conformation of the midblocks (links of the network) and the polydispersity of the endblock domains (nodes of the network). The...

-induced destabilization is discussed in relation to analogous observations on shear-induced order-to-order and disorder-to-order transitions observed in related block copolymer systems and in microemulsions. It is discussed whether these phenomena originate in shear-reduced fluctuations or shear-induced dislocations....

The effect of temperature on rates of soil respiration is critical to our understanding of the terrestrial carbon cycle and potential feedbacks to climate change. The relative temperature sensitivity of labile and recalcitrant soil organic matter (SOM) is still controversial; different studies have produced contrasting results, indicating limited understanding of the underlying relationships between stabilisation processes and temperature. Current global carbon cycle models still rely on the assumption that SOM pools with different decay rates have the same temperatureresponse, yet small differences in temperatureresponse between pools could lead to very different climate feedbacks. This study examined the temperatureresponse of soil respiration and the age of soil carbon respired from radiocarbon dated fractions of SOM (free, intra-aggregate and mineral-bound) and whole soils (organic and mineral layers). Samples were collected from a peaty gley soil from Harwood Forest, Northumberland, UK. SOM fractions were isolated from organic layer (5 - 17 cm) material using high density flotation and ultrasonic disaggregation - designated as free ( 1.8 g cm-3) and mineral-bound (> 1.8 g cm-3) SOM. Fractions were analysed for chemical composition (FTIR, CHN analysis, ICP-OES), 14C (AMS), δ13C and δ15N (MS) and thermal properties (DSC). SOM fractions and bulk soil from the organic layer and the mineral layer (20 - 30 cm) were incubated in sealed vessels at 30 ° C and 10 ° C for 3 or 9 months to allow accumulation of CO2 sufficient for sampling. Accumulated respired CO2 samples were collected on zeolite molecular sieve cartridges and used for AMS radiocarbon dating. In parallel, material from the same fractions and layers were incubated at 10 ° C, 15 ° C, 25 ° C and 30 ° C for 6 months and sampled weekly for CO2 flux measurements using GC chromatography. Initial data have shown radiocarbon ages ranging from modern to 219 y BP in bulk soil from the organic layer (5

Full Text Available The global temperatureresponses to the eruptions of Mount Agung in 1963, El Chichón in 1982, and Mount Pinatubo in 1991 are investigated using nine currently available reanalysis data sets (JRA-55, MERRA, ERA-Interim, NCEP-CFSR, JRA-25, ERA-40, NCEP-1, NCEP-2, and 20CR. Multiple linear regression is applied to the zonal and monthly mean time series of temperature for two periods, 1979–2009 (for eight reanalysis data sets and 1958–2001 (for four reanalysis data sets, by considering explanatory factors of seasonal harmonics, linear trends, Quasi-Biennial Oscillation, solar cycle, and El Niño Southern Oscillation. The residuals are used to define the volcanic signals for the three eruptions separately, and common and different responses among the older and newer reanalysis data sets are highlighted for each eruption. In response to the Mount Pinatubo eruption, most reanalysis data sets show strong warming signals (up to 2–3 K for 1-year average in the tropical lower stratosphere and weak cooling signals (down to −1 K in the subtropical upper troposphere. For the El Chichón eruption, warming signals in the tropical lower stratosphere are somewhat smaller than those for the Mount Pinatubo eruption. The response to the Mount Agung eruption is asymmetric about the equator with strong warming in the Southern Hemisphere midlatitude upper troposphere to lower stratosphere. Comparison of the results from several different reanalysis data sets confirms the atmospheric temperatureresponse to these major eruptions qualitatively, but also shows quantitative differences even among the most recent reanalysis data sets. The consistencies and differences among different reanalysis data sets provide a measure of the confidence and uncertainty in our current understanding of the volcanic response. The results of this intercomparison study may be useful for validation of climate model responses to volcanic forcing and for assessing proposed

The global temperatureresponses to the eruptions of Mount Agung in 1963, El Chichón in 1982, and Mount Pinatubo in 1991 are investigated using nine currently available reanalysis data sets (JRA-55, MERRA, ERA-Interim, NCEP-CFSR, JRA-25, ERA-40, NCEP-1, NCEP-2, and 20CR). Multiple linear regression is applied to the zonal and monthly mean time series of temperature for two periods, 1979-2009 (for eight reanalysis data sets) and 1958-2001 (for four reanalysis data sets), by considering explanatory factors of seasonal harmonics, linear trends, Quasi-Biennial Oscillation, solar cycle, and El Niño Southern Oscillation. The residuals are used to define the volcanic signals for the three eruptions separately, and common and different responses among the older and newer reanalysis data sets are highlighted for each eruption. In response to the Mount Pinatubo eruption, most reanalysis data sets show strong warming signals (up to 2-3 K for 1-year average) in the tropical lower stratosphere and weak cooling signals (down to -1 K) in the subtropical upper troposphere. For the El Chichón eruption, warming signals in the tropical lower stratosphere are somewhat smaller than those for the Mount Pinatubo eruption. The response to the Mount Agung eruption is asymmetric about the equator with strong warming in the Southern Hemisphere midlatitude upper troposphere to lower stratosphere. Comparison of the results from several different reanalysis data sets confirms the atmospheric temperatureresponse to these major eruptions qualitatively, but also shows quantitative differences even among the most recent reanalysis data sets. The consistencies and differences among different reanalysis data sets provide a measure of the confidence and uncertainty in our current understanding of the volcanic response. The results of this intercomparison study may be useful for validation of climate model responses to volcanic forcing and for assessing proposed geoengineering by stratospheric

A transient temperatureresponse of the in-vessel components (first wall, blanket, divertor/limiter and shielding) surrounding plasma in Tokamak Fusion Experimental Reactor (FER) has been analysed. Transient heat load during start up/shut down and pulsed operation cycles causes the transient temperatureresponse in those components. The fatigue lifetime of those components significantly depends upon the resulting cyclic thermal stress. The burn time affects the temperature control in the solid breeder (Li2O) and also affects the thermo-mechanical design of the blanket and shielding which are constructed with thick structure. In this report, results of the transient temperatureresponse obtained by the heat transfer and conduction analyses for various pulsed operation scenarios (start up, shut down, burn and dwell times) have been investigated in view of thermo-mechanical design of the in-vessel components. (author)

Physical activity has a noticeable effect on skin blood flow and temperature. The thermal regulatory and hemodynamic processes during physical activity are controlled by two conflicting mechanisms: the skin vasoconstriction induced by the blood flow demand to active muscles and the skin vasodilation required by thermoregulation to increase warm blood flow and heat conduction to the skin. The time-evolution of skin temperature during exercise can give useful information about the adaptation of the subject as a function of specific type, intensity and duration of exercise. In this paper, infrared thermography is used to investigate the thermal response of skin temperature during running exercise on treadmill for a group of seven healthy and trained runners. Two different treadmill exercises are considered: a graded load exercise and a constant load exercise; for both exercises the duration was 30 minutes. Within the limits due to the relatively small size of the sample group, results typically indicate a fall in skin temperature during the initial stage of running exercise. As the exercise progresses, the dynamics of the skin temperatureresponse depends on the type of exercise (graded versus constant load) and probably on the level of training of the subject.

Light- and temperature-responsive liposomes were prepared by immobilizing cinnamoyl Pluronic F127 (CP F127) on the surface of egg phosphatidylcholine liposomes. CP F127 was prepared by a condensation reaction, and the molar ratio of cinnamoyl group to Pluronic F127 was calculated to be 1:1.4 on (1)H NMR spectrum. The cinnamoyl group of CP F127 was readily dimerized under the irradiation of a UV light (254 nm, 6 W). CP F127 decreased the absolute value of the zeta potential of liposome possibly because it can shift the hydrodynamic plane away from the liposome surface. The size of liposome decorated with CP F127, measured on a dynamic light scattering machine and observed on a TEM, was larger than that of bare liposome. The liposome bearing CP F127 seemed to fuse and aggregate each other. The liposome released calcein, a fluorescence dye, in response to a UV irradiation, possibly because the photo-dimerization of cinnamoyl group perturbs the liposomal membrane. Moreover, the liposome released the dye in response to a temperature change, possible due to the phase transition of Pluronic F127 layer on the liposomal surface or the hydrophobic interaction of the polymer with liposomal membrane. PMID:24709213

In the present study, we describe a reusable electrochemical immunosensor for the repeated detection of cancer biomarkers using a single platform. The integration of a temperature-responsive polymer on the electrode surface enables easy manipulation of the biological sensing interface (i.e., addition of biotin, streptavidin, and antibody), thus allowing for temperature-induced regeneration and disruption of the interface architecture of the electrode surface. Using our immunosensor, we demonstrate sequential amperometric detection of three tumor markers: CA125, CEA, and PSA. Interestingly, greatly amplified signals are achieved by immersing the immunosensor in a solution of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and antibody-labeled nanoparticles, resulting in a linear range of 0.0064 to 256 U/mL, 1 pg/mL to 100 ng/mL, and 10 pg/mL to 10 ng/mL with a detection limit of 0.007 U/mL, 0.7 pg/mL, and 0.9 pg/mL for CA125, CEA, and PSA, respectively. By alternating temperature, the immunosensor adsorbs and desorbs the biological elements without damage. Our proposed methodology can be expanded to measure other relevant biological species by repeated detection and thus has enormous potential for industrial and clinical applications. PMID:26606310

The phase behavior of poly(isoprene-b-styrene- b-ethylene oxide) (ISO), a model ABC triblock copolymer has been studied. This class of materials exhibit self-assembly, forming a large array of ordered morphologies at length scales of 5-100 nm. The formation of stable three-dimensionally continuous network morphologies is of special interest in this study. Since these nanostructures considerably impact the material properties, fundamental knowledge for designing ABC systems have high technological importance for realizing applications in the areas of nanofabrication, nanoporous media, separation membranes, drug delivery and high surface area catalysts. A comprehensive framework was developed to describe the phase behavior of the ISO triblock copolymers at weak to intermediate segregation strengths spanning a wide range of composition. Phases were characterized through a combination of characterization techniques, including small angle x-ray scattering, dynamic mechanical spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and birefringence measurements. Combined with previous investigations on ISO, six different stable ordered state symmetries have been identified: lamellae (LAM), Fddd orthorhombic network (O70), double gyroid (Q230), alternating gyroid (Q214), hexagonal (HEX), and body-centered cubic (BCC). The phase map was found to be somewhat asymmetric around the fI = fO isopleth. This work provides a guide for theoretical studies and gives insight into the intricate effects of various parameters on the self-assembly of ABC triblock copolymers. Experimental SAXS data evaluated with a simple scattering intensity model show that local mixing varies continuously across the phase map between states of two- and three-domain segregation. Strategies of blending homopolymers with ISO triblock copolymer were employed for studying the swelling properties of a lamellar state. Results demonstrate that lamellar domains swell or shrink depending upon the type of homopolymer that

A series of ethylene oxide-butylene terephthalate (EOBT) segmented copolymers with different soft segment length and hard segment content were synthesized. The compositional heterogeneity was studied by solvent extraction. The results show that the compositional heterogeneity increases when soft segment length and hard segment content increase. The compositional heterogeneity is also reflected in the crystallization behavior and morphology of soft and hard segment in EOBT segmented copolymer. The more compositional heterogeneous the EOBT segmented copolymer is, the more different the morphology and the crystallization behavior between separated fractions. Compared with ethylene oxide-ethylene terephthalate (EOET) segmented copolymer, compositional heterogeneity in EOBT segmented copolymer is weaker. But the compositional heterogeneity in EOBT segmented copolymer with long soft segment and high hard segment content is still obvious.

New poly(silole-fluorene) copolymers were designed and synthesized. Copolymers were obtained by Suzuki coupling reaction with different ratio of fluorene and silole. The obtained copolymers were characterized by the spectroscopic methods such as FT-IR and 1H-NMR spectroscopies. The resulting copolymers were soluble in common organic solvents such as toluene, tetrahydrofurane, chloroform, chlorobenzene, etc. The obtained copolymers showed thermal stabilities, which were characterized by TGA and DSC. PLEDs with device configurations of ITO/PEDOT:PSS/Copolymer I~VI/LiF/AI. The best device performances, with maximum brightness of 231.5 cd/m2 at a current density (J) of 408.3 mA/cm2, and a maximum luminance efficiency of 0.115 cd/A, were achieved in the composition of fluorene and silole moiety (0.9:0.1). PMID:26353724

The present work deals with the development of temperature and magnetic responsive hydrogel networks based on poly (N-isopropylacrylamide)/acrylamido propane sulfonic acid. The hydrogel matrices are synthesized by polymerizing N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) monomer in the presence of acrylamido propane sulphonicacid (AMPS) using a cross-linker (N,N-methylenebisacrylamide, MBA) and redox initiating system [ammonium persulphate (APS)/tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA)]. The magnetic nanoparticles are generated throughout the hydrogel networks using in situ method by incorporating iron ions and subsequent treatment with ammonia. A series of hydrogel-magnetic nanocomposites (HGMNC) are developed by varying AMPS composition. The synthesized hydrogel magnetic nanocomposites (HGMNC) are characterized by using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Thermal Analyses and Electron Microscopy analysis (Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscope). The metal extraction capacities of the prepared hydrogel (HG) and hydrogel magnetic nanocomposites (HGMNC) were studied at different temperatures. The results suggest that HGMNCs have higher extraction capacity compared to HG and HG loaded iron ions. This data also reveals that the extraction of metals by hydrogel magnetic nanocomposites (HGMNCs) is higher at higher temperatures than room temperature. The prepared HGMNCs are also subjected to hyperthermia (cancer therapy) studies. - Highlights: • We have developed temperatureresponsive hydrogel magnetic nanocomposites. • Addition of AMPS monomer to this magnetic hydrogel enhances the temperature sensitivity to 40–43 °C. • Similarly the sulfonic groups present in the AMPS units enhances the swelling ratio of magnetic hydrogels. • AMPS acts as good stabilizing agent for nanoparticles in the magnetic nanogel

The partial pressure of CO2 at the sites of carboxylation within chloroplasts depends on the conductance to CO2 diffusion from intercellular airspace to the sites of carboxylation, termed mesophyll conductance (gm ). We investigated the temperatureresponse of gm in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) by combining gas exchange in high light, ambient CO2 in either 2 or 21% O2 with carbon isotope measurements using tuneable diode laser spectroscopy. The gm increased linearly with temperature in 2 or 21% O2 . In 21% O2 , isotope discrimination associated with gm decreased from 5.0 ± 0.2 to 1.8 ± 0.2‰ as temperature increased from 15 to 40 °C, but the photorespiratory contribution to the isotopic signal is significant. While the fractionation factor for photorespiration (f = 16.2 ± 0.7‰) was independent of temperature between 20 and 35 °C, discrimination associated with photorespiration increased from 1.1 ± 0.01 to 2.7 ± 0.02‰ from 15 to 40 °C. Other mitochondrial respiration contributed around 0.2 ± 0.03‰. The drawdown in CO2 partial pressure from ambient air to intercellular airspaces was nearly independent of leaf temperature. By contrast, the increase in gm with increasing leaf temperature resulted in the drawdown in CO2 partial pressure between intercellular airspaces and the sites of carboxylation decreasing substantially at high temperature. PMID:22882584

The present work deals with the development of temperature and magnetic responsive hydrogel networks based on poly (N-isopropylacrylamide)/acrylamido propane sulfonic acid. The hydrogel matrices are synthesized by polymerizing N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) monomer in the presence of acrylamido propane sulphonicacid (AMPS) using a cross-linker (N,N-methylenebisacrylamide, MBA) and redox initiating system [ammonium persulphate (APS)/tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA)]. The magnetic nanoparticles are generated throughout the hydrogel networks using in situ method by incorporating iron ions and subsequent treatment with ammonia. A series of hydrogel-magnetic nanocomposites (HGMNC) are developed by varying AMPS composition. The synthesized hydrogel magnetic nanocomposites (HGMNC) are characterized by using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Thermal Analyses and Electron Microscopy analysis (Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscope). The metal extraction capacities of the prepared hydrogel (HG) and hydrogel magnetic nanocomposites (HGMNC) were studied at different temperatures. The results suggest that HGMNCs have higher extraction capacity compared to HG and HG loaded iron ions. This data also reveals that the extraction of metals by hydrogel magnetic nanocomposites (HGMNCs) is higher at higher temperatures than room temperature. The prepared HGMNCs are also subjected to hyperthermia (cancer therapy) studies. - Highlights: • We have developed temperatureresponsive hydrogel magnetic nanocomposites. • Addition of AMPS monomer to this magnetic hydrogel enhances the temperature sensitivity to 40–43 °C. • Similarly the sulfonic groups present in the AMPS units enhances the swelling ratio of magnetic hydrogels. • AMPS acts as good stabilizing agent for nanoparticles in the magnetic nanogel.

Temperatureresponsive magnetic polymer submicron particles were prepared by two step seed emulsion polymerization process. First, magnetic seed polymer particles were obtained by emulsion polymerization of styrene using potassium persulfate (KPS) as an initiator and divinylbenzne (DVB) as a cross-linker in the presence of oil-in-water magnetic emulsion (organic ferrofluid droplets). Thereafter, DVB cross-linked magnetic polymer particles were used as seed in the precipitation polymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) to induce thermosensitive PNIPAM shell onto the hydrophobic polymer surface of the cross-linked magnetic polymer particles. To impart cationic functional groups in the thermosensitive PNIPAM backbone, the functional monomer aminoethylmethacrylate hydrochloride (AEMH) was used to polymerize with NIPAM while N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) and 2, 2'-azobis (2-methylpropionamidine) dihydrochloride (V-50) were used as a cross-linker and as an initiator respectively. The effect of seed to monomer (w/w) ratio along with seed nature on the final particle morphology was investigated. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) results demonstrated particles swelling at below volume phase transition temperature (VPTT) and deswelling above the VPTT. The perfect core (magnetic) shell (polymer) structure of the particles prepared was confirmed by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The chemical composition of the particles were determined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The effect of temperature, pH, ionic strength on the colloidal properties such as size and zeta potential of the micron sized thermo-sensitive magnetic particles were also studied. In addition, a short mechanistic discussion on the formation of core-shell morphology of magnetic polymer particles has also been discussed. PMID:21570083

The temperatureresponse on gas and water vapour exchange characteristics of three medicinal drug type (HP Mexican, MX and W1) and four industrial fiber type (Felinq 34, Kompolty, Zolo 11 and Zolo 15) varieties of Cannabis sativa, originally from different agro-climatic zones worldwide, were studied. Among the drug type varieties, optimum temperature for photosynthesis (Topt) was observed in the range of 30-35 °C in high potency Mexican HPM whereas, it was in the range of 25-30 °C in W1. A comparatively lower value (25 °C) for Topt was observed in MX. Among fiber type varieties, Topt was around 30 °C in Zolo 11 and Zolo 15 whereas, it was near 25 °C in Felinq 34 and Kompolty. Varieties having higher maximum photosynthesis (PN max) had higher chlorophyll content as compared to those having lower PN max. Differences in water use efficiency (WUE) were also observed within and among the drug and fiber type plants. However, differences became less pronounced at higher temperatures. Both stomatal and mesophyll components seem to be responsible for the temperature dependence of photosynthesis (PN) in this species, however, their magnitude varied with the variety. In general, a two fold increase in dark respiration with increase in temperature (from 20 °C to 40 °C) was observed in all the varieties. However, a greater increase was associated with the variety having higher rate of photosynthesis, indicating a strong association between photosynthetic and respiratory rates. The results provide a valuable indication regarding variations in temperature dependence of PN in different varieties of Cannabis sativa L. PMID:23573022

In this paper we consider a two-dimensional model of a copolymer consisting of a random concatenation of hydrophilic and hydrophobic monomers, immersed in a micro-emulsion of random droplets of oil and water. The copolymer interacts with the micro-emulsion through an interaction Hamiltonian that favors matches and disfavors mismatches between the monomers and the solvents, in such a way that the interaction with the oil is stronger than with the water. The configurations of the copolymers are...

In this paper we review some recent results, obtained jointly with Stu Whittington, for a mathematical model describing a copolymer in an emulsion. The copolymer consists of hydrophobic and hydrophilic monomers, concatenated randomly with equal density. The emulsion consists of large blocks of oil and water, arranged in a percolation-type fashion. To make the model mathematically tractable, the copolymer is allowed to enter and exit a neighboring pair of blocks only at diagonally opposite cor...

The present invention is a thereapeutic agent carrier having a thermally reversible gel or geling copolymer that is a linear random copolymer of an [meth-]acrylamide derivative and a hydrophilic comonomer, wherein the linear random copolymer is in the form of a plurality of linear chains having a plurality of molecular weights greater than or equal to a minimum geling molecular weight cutoff and a therapeutic agent.

Incorporating an ionic liquid into one block copolymer microphase provides a platform for combining the outstanding electrochemical properties of ionic liquids with a number of favorable attributes provided by block copolymers. In particular, block copolymers thermodynamically self-assemble into well-ordered nanostructures, which can be engineered to provide a durable mechanical scaffold and template the ionic liquid into continuous ion-conducting nanochannels. Understanding how the additio...

A family of injectable, biodegradable, and thermosensitive copolymers based on N-isopropylacrylamide, acrylic acid, N-acryloxysuccinimide, and a macromer polylactide–hydroxyethyl methacrylate were synthesized by free radical polymerization. Copolymers were injectable at or below room temperature and formed robust hydrogels at 37 °C. The effects of monomer ratio, polylactide length, and AAc content on the chemical and physical properties of the hydrogel were investigated. Copolymers exhibited ...

The aim of this work is to fabricate nanostructured membranes from polysulfone-based block copolymers through self-assembly and non-solvent induced phase separation. Block copolymers containing polysulfone are novel materials for this purpose providing better mechanical and thermal stability to membranes than polystyrene-based copolymers, which have been exclusively used now. Firstly, we synthesized a triblock copolymer, poly(tert-butyl acrylate)-b-polsulfone-b-poly(tert-butyl acrylate) through polycondensation and reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer polymerization. The obtained membrane has a highly porous interconnected skin layer composed of elongated micelles with a flower-like arrangement, on top of the graded finger-like macrovoids. Membrane surface hydrolysis was carried out in a combination with metal complexation to obtain metal-chelated membranes. The copper-containing membrane showed improved antibacterial capability. Secondly, a poly(acrylic acid)-b-polysulfone-b-poly(acrylic acid) triblock copolymer obtained by hydrolyzing poly(tert-butyl acrylate)-b-polsulfone-b-poly(tert-butyl acrylate) formed a thin film with cylindrical poly(acrylic acid) microdomains in polysulfone matrix through thermal annealing. A phase inversion membrane was prepared from the same polymer via self-assembly and chelation-assisted non-solvent induced phase separation. The spherical micelles pre-formed in a selective solvent mixture packed into an ordered lattice in aid of metal-poly(acrylic acid) complexation. The space between micelles was filled with poly(acrylic acid)-metal complexes acting as potential water channels. The silver0 nanoparticle-decorated membrane was obtained by surface reduction, having three distinct layers with different particle sizes. Other amphiphilic copolymers containing polysulfone and water-soluble segments such as poly(ethylene glycol) and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) were also synthesized through coupling reaction and copper0-mediated

Full Text Available Hybrid phospholipid/block copolymer vesicles, in which the polymeric membrane is blended with phospholipids, display interesting self-assembly behavior, incorporating the robustness and chemical versatility of polymersomes with the softness and biocompatibility of liposomes. Such structures can be conveniently characterized by preparing giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs via electroformation. Here, we are interested in exploring the self-assembly and properties of the analogous nanoscale hybrid vesicles (ca. 100 nm in diameter of the same composition prepared by film-hydration and extrusion. We show that the self-assembly and content-release behavior of nanoscale polybutadiene-b-poly(ethylene oxide (PB-PEO/1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (POPC hybrid phospholipid/block copolymer vesicles can be tuned by the mixing ratio of the amphiphiles. In brief, these hybrids may provide alternative tools for drug delivery purposes and molecular imaging/sensing applications and clearly open up new avenues for further investigation.

Thin liquid films of ordered diblock copolymers deposited on a solid substrate form a multilayer stacking parallel to the solid surface. A multilayer with a finite extend can be stable, metastable, or unstable, depending on the relative values of the surface energies of the various interfaces. The spreading parameter and chemical potential of a n-layer are derived, and used for classifying all possible situations. It is shown that only mono- and bilayers can be stable, and that non-wetting mu...

Critical adsorption behaviors of flexible copolymer chains tethered to a flat homogeneous surface are studied by using Monte Carlo simulations. We have compared the critical adsorption temperature Tc, estimated by a finite-size scaling method, for different AB copolymer sequences with A the attractive monomer and B the inert monomer. We find that Tc increases with an increase in the fraction of monomers A, fA, in copolymers, and it increases with an increase in the length of block A for the same fA. In particular, Tc of copolymer (AnBn)r can be expressed as a function of the block length, n, and Tc of copolymer (AnB)r and (ABm)r can be expressed as a linear function of fA. Tc of random copolymer chains also can be expressed as a linear function of fA and it can be estimated by using weight-average of Tc of different diblocks in the random copolymer. However, the crossover exponent is roughly independent of AB sequence distributions either for block copolymers or for random copolymers.

This work aims at demonstrating the interest of gradient copolymers in supercritical CO2 in comparison with block copolymers. Gradient copolymers exhibit a better solubility in supercritical CO2 than block copolymers, as attested by cloud point data. The self-assembly of gradient and block copolymers in dense CO2 has been characterized by Small-Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS); and it is shown that it is not fundamentally modified when changing from block copolymers to gradient copolymers. Therefore, gradient copolymers are advantageous thanks to their easier synthesis and their solubility at lower pressure while maintaining a good ability for self-organization in dense CO2. (authors)

Emulsions can be stabilized with the addition of an amphiphilic diblock copolymer, resulting in droplets surrounded and protected by a polymer monolayer. Such droplets show considerable promise as advanced cargo carriers in pharmaceuticals or cosmetics due to their strength and responsiveness. Diblock copolymer interfaces remain mostly fluid and may not be able to attain the mechanical performance desired by industry. To strengthen block copolymer emulsion droplets we have developed a novel method for creating thin elastic shells using polystyrene-b-poly(acrylic acid)-b-polystyrene (PS-PAA-PS). Characterization of the fluid filled elastic shells is difficult with traditional means which lead us to develop a new and general method of mechanical measurement. Specifically, we use laser scanning confocal microscopy to achieve a high resolution measure of the deformation of soft spheres under the influence of gravity. To prove the resilience of the technique we examine both a polystyrene-b-poly(ethylene oxide) (PS-PEO) stabilized emulsion and the PS-PAA-PS emulsion. The mechanical measurement allows the physics of the polymer at the interface to be examined, which will ultimately lead to the rational development of these technologies.

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) were modified for diblock copolymer and graft polymer by catalyzed transesterification in the melt and by chemical synthesis to extend the side chains of the PHAs, and the polymers were studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) X-ray diffraction, thermal analysis and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Catalyzed transesterification in the melt is used to produce diblock copolymers of poly[3-hydroxybutyrate] (PHB) and monomethoxy poly[ethylene glycol] (mPEG) in a one-step process. The resulting diblock copolymers are amphiphilic and self-assemble into sterically stabilized colloidal suspensions of PHB crystalline lamellae. Graft polymer was synthesized in a two-step chemical synthesis from biosynthesized poly[3-hydroxyoctanoate-co-3-hydroxyundecenoate] (PHOU) containing ca. 25 mol chains. 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid reacts with the side chain alkenes of PHOU by the radical addition creating thioether linkage with terminal carboxyl functionalities. The latter groups were subsequently transformed into the amide or ester linkage by tridecylamine or octadecanol, respectively, producing new graft polymers. The polymers have different physical properties than poly[3-hydroxyoctanoate] (PHO) which is the main component of the PHOU, such as non-stickiness and higher thermal stability. The combination of biosynthesis and chemical synthesis produces a hybrid thermoplastic elastomer with partial biodegradability.

The morphologies of polydisperse ethylene-octene diblock copolymers, synthesized via a novel coordinative chain transfer polymerization process, are examined using two-dimensional synchrotron small-angle and wide-angle X-ray scattering on flow-aligned specimens. The diblock copolymers comprise one amorphous block with high 1-octene content and one semicrystalline block with relatively low 1-octene content, and each block ideally exhibits the most-probable distribution. Near-symmetric diblocks with a sufficiently large octene differential between the amorphous and semicrystalline blocks show well-ordered lamellar domain structures with long periods exceeding 100 nm. Orientation of these domain structures persists through multiple melting/recrystallization cycles, reflecting a robust structure which self-assembles in the melt. The domain spacings are nearly 3-fold larger than those in near-monodisperse polyethylene block copolymers of similar molecular weights. Although the well-ordered lamellar domain structure established in the melt is preserved in the solid state, the crystallites are isotropic in orientation. These materials display crystallization kinetics consistent with a spreading growth habit, indicating that the lamellae do not confine or template the growing crystals. The exceptionally large domain spacings and isotropic crystal growth are attributed to interblock mixing resulting from the large polydispersity; short hard blocks dissolved in the soft-block-rich domains swell the domain spacing in the melt and allow hard block crystallization to proceed across the lamellar domain interfaces.

The phase behavior of strongly segregated AB diblock copolymer and selective C homopolymer blends is examined theoretically using a combination of strong stretching theory (SST) and self-consistent field theory (SCFT). The C-homopolymer is immiscible with the B-blocks but strongly attractive with the A-blocks. The effect of homopolymer content on the order-order phase transitions is analyzed. It is observed that, for AB diblock copolymers with majority A-blocks, the addition of the C-homopolymers results in lamellar to cylindrical to spherical phase transitions because of the A/C complexation. For diblock copolymers with minor A-blocks, adding C-homopolymers leads to transitions from spherical or cylindrical morphology with A-rich core to lamellae to inverted cylindrical and spherical morphologies with B-rich core. The results from analytical SST and numerical SCFT are in good agreement within most regions of the phase diagram. But the deviation becomes more obvious when the composition of A-blocks is too small and the content of added C-homopolymers is large enough, where the SCFT predicts a narrow co-existence region between different ordered phases. Furthermore, it is found that the phase behavior of the system is insensitive to the molecular weight of C-homopolymer

We present a statistical mechanical approach for predicting the self-assembled morphologies of amphiphilic diblock copolymers in the melt. We introduce two conformationally asymmetric linear copolymer models with a local structural asymmetry, one of a "comb-tail'' type and another that we call "cont

Quantitative etching of the polydimethylsiloxane block in a series of polystyrene-polydimethylsiloxane (PS-PDMS) block copolymers is reported. Reacting the block copolymer with anhydrous hydrogen fluoride (HF) renders a nanoporous material with the remaining PS maintaining the original morphology...

The increasing number of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains has developed into a major health problem. In particular, biofilms are the main reason for hospital-acquired infections and diseases. Once formed, biofilms are difficult to remove as they have specific defense mechanisms against antimicrobial agents. Antimicrobial surfaces must therefore kill or repel bacteria before they can settle to form a biofilm. In this study, we describe that poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) containing diblock copolymers can kill bacteria and prevent from biofilm formation. The PAA diblock copolymers with poly(styrene) and poly(methyl methacrylate) were synthesized via anionic polymerization of tert-butyl acrylate with styrene or methyl methacrylate and subsequent acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of the tert-butyl ester. The copolymers were characterized via nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), size-exclusion chromatography (SEC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), elemental analysis, and acid–base titrations. Copolymer films with a variety of acrylic acid contents were produced by solvent casting, characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and tested for their antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The antimicrobial activity of the acidic diblock copolymers increased with increasing acrylic acid content, independent of the copolymer-partner, the chain length and the nanostructure. - Highlights: • Acrylic acid diblock copolymers are antimicrobially active. • The antimicrobial activity depends on the acrylic acid content in the copolymer. • No salts, metals or other antimicrobial agents are needed.

The present invention provides a positively charged co-polymer for use as an antimicrobial agent, wherein said positively charged co-polymer is composed of amino acids and/or derivatives thereof and wherein at least 75 molar percent of said amino acids are selected from the group consisting of...

The increasing number of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains has developed into a major health problem. In particular, biofilms are the main reason for hospital-acquired infections and diseases. Once formed, biofilms are difficult to remove as they have specific defense mechanisms against antimicrobial agents. Antimicrobial surfaces must therefore kill or repel bacteria before they can settle to form a biofilm. In this study, we describe that poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) containing diblock copolymers can kill bacteria and prevent from biofilm formation. The PAA diblock copolymers with poly(styrene) and poly(methyl methacrylate) were synthesized via anionic polymerization of tert-butyl acrylate with styrene or methyl methacrylate and subsequent acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of the tert-butyl ester. The copolymers were characterized via nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), size-exclusion chromatography (SEC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), elemental analysis, and acid–base titrations. Copolymer films with a variety of acrylic acid contents were produced by solvent casting, characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and tested for their antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The antimicrobial activity of the acidic diblock copolymers increased with increasing acrylic acid content, independent of the copolymer-partner, the chain length and the nanostructure. - Highlights: • Acrylic acid diblock copolymers are antimicrobially active. • The antimicrobial activity depends on the acrylic acid content in the copolymer. • No salts, metals or other antimicrobial agents are needed

In this research, several block copolymers were synthesized and characterized with regard to possible pharmaceutical applications. All block copolymers were thermosensitive and self-assembled at 37 °C into structures like micelles and hydrogels, which can be used for innovative drug delivery purpose

Recent studies show that compounding polyamide 6 (PA 6) with a PA 6 polyether block copolymers made by reaction injection molding (RIM) or continuous anionic polymerization in a reactive extrusion process (REX) result in blends with high impact strength and high stiffness compared to conventional rubber blends. In this paper, different high impact PA 6 blends were prepared using a twin screw extruder. The different impact modifiers were an ethylene propylene copolymer, a PA PA 6 polyether block copolymer made by reaction injection molding and one made by reactive extrusion. To ensure good particle matrix bonding, the ethylene propylene copolymer was grafted with maleic anhydride (EPR-g-MA). Due to the molecular structure of the two block copolymers, a coupling agent was not necessary. The block copolymers are semi-crystalline and partially cross-linked in contrast to commonly used amorphous rubbers which are usually uncured. The combination of different analysis methods like atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) gave a detailed view in the structure of the blends. Due to the partial cross-linking, the particles of the block copolymers in the blends are not spherical like the ones of ethylene propylene copolymer. The differences in molecular structure, miscibility and grafting of the impact modifiers result in different mechanical properties and different blend morphologies.

Polymer blends having high impact resistance after mechanical working are produced by blending together a non-elastomeric monovinylidene aromatic polymer such as polystyrene with an elastomeric copolymer, such as a block copolymer of styrene and butadiene, in the form of crosslinked, colloidal size particles

Sequential diblock copolymers composed of L- and D-lactic acid residues were synthesized through a living ring-opening polymerization of L- and D-lactide initiated by aluminium tris(2-propanolate). The composition of the block copolymers was varied by changing the reaction conditions and monomer ove

Based on the studies of the predecessors, and contrasting the modes of stress loading with water level and water temperatureresponse characteristics of a well-aquifer system, this paper draws a preliminary conclusion on the mechanisms of water temperatureresponses in a well caused by three modes of stress loading, i.e. gas escape, heat dispersion and cold water penetration mechanisms for elastic seismic wave stress loading; the fracture seepage mechanism for seismic wave stress loading and the hydrodynamic mechanism for earth tide stress loading and stress-dissipative heat mechanism for long period slow stress loading in the earthquake preparation stage. This paper illustrates the typical observation examples for each mode of stress loading and makes a preliminary study on their mechanisms.

The global soil carbon pool is approximately three times larger than the contemporary atmospheric pool, therefore even minor changes to its integrity may have major implications for atmospheric CO2 concentrations. While theory predicts that the chemical composition of organic matter should constitute a master control on the temperatureresponse of its decomposition, this relationship has not yet been fully demonstrated. We used laboratory incubations of forest soil organic matter (SOM) and fresh litter material together with NMR spectroscopy to make this connection between organic chemical composition and temperature sensitivity of decomposition. Temperatureresponse of decomposition in both fresh litter and SOM was directly related to the chemical composition of the constituent organic matter, explaining 90% and 70% of the variance in Q10 in litter and SOM, respectively. The Q10 of litter decreased with increasing proportions of aromatic and O-aromatic compounds, and increased with increased contents of alkyl- and O-alkyl carbons. In contrast, in SOM, decomposition was affected only by carbonyl compounds. To reveal why a certain group of organic chemical compounds affected the temperature sensitivity of organic matter decomposition in litter and SOM, a more detailed characterization of the (13) C aromatic region using Heteronuclear Single Quantum Coherence (HSQC) was conducted. The results revealed considerable differences in the aromatic region between litter and SOM. This suggests that the correlation between chemical composition of organic matter and the temperatureresponse of decomposition differed between litter and SOM. The temperatureresponse of soil decomposition processes can thus be described by the chemical composition of its constituent organic matter, this paves the way for improved ecosystem modeling of biosphere feedbacks under a changing climate. PMID:23907960

A water-soluble anionic graft copolymer of xanthan gum and polyacrylamide is described in which at least part of the amide function of the acrylamide portion of the copolymer is sulfomethylated and the xanthan gum portion of the copolymer is unreacted with formaldehyde. The copolymer is sulfomethylated by reaction with formaldehyde and sodium metabisulfite. The formaldehyde does not cause any appreciable cross-linking between hydroxyl groups of the xanthan moieties. The sulfomethylation of the acrylamido group takes place at temperatures from 35 to 70 C. The pH is 10 or higher, typically from 12 to 13. The degree of anionic character may be varied by adjusting the molar ratio of formaldehyde and sodium metabisulfite with respect to the copolymer. 10 claims.

Most experimental studies and almost all theories that deal with block copolymers, or mixtures of block copolymers and homopolymers, have been designed from an equilibrium perspective. Yet a myriad of factors conspire to retard approach to equilibrium in these systems, including: subtle features in the free energy surface that are controlled by ordered state symmetry; a coupling between microphase separation and entanglement dynamics; complex molecular architectures such as multiblock, starblock, and miktoarm. Even unentangled low molecular weight diblock copolymers, the simplest and dynamically least encumbered materials, exhibit long-lived metastable states that confound attempts to validate equilibrium theories. However, this apparent dilemma can be exploited through clever processing strategies. This lecture will address two opposing consequences of block copolymer metastability. The first is a potential nightmare: Can we ever establish universal block copolymer phase diagrams? The second is the stuff of dreams: Self-assembled thermoset nanocomposites.

Dissipative particle dynamics simulations were performed on the morphology and structure of multicompartment micelles formed from n-shaped ABC block copolymers in water. The influences of chain architectures were studied in a systematic way, and a rich variety of morphologies were observed, such as spherical, wormlike,X-shaped, Y-shaped, ribbon-like, layered rod-like, layered disk-like, as well as network morphologies. The simulations show that the distance between the two grafts plays an important role in control of the morphology. Since π-shaped ABC block copolymers can be reduced to linear ABC and star ABC block copolymers, they are good model copolymers for studying the self-assembly of complex block copolymers into micelles. The knowledge obtained in this work as well as the new morphologies identified provide useful information for future rational design and synthesis of novel multicompartment micelles.

To achieve the monotonic frequency-temperatureresponse for a high-temperature langasite (LGS) surface-acoustic-wave (SAW) sensor in a wide temperature range, a method utilizing two substrate cuts with different propagation angles on the same substrate plane was proposed. In this method, the theory of effective permittivity is adopted to calculate the temperature coefficients of frequency (TCF), electromechanical coupling coefficients (k2), and power flow angle (PFA) for different propagation angles on the same substrate plane, and then the two substrate cuts were chosen to have large k2 and small PFA, as well as the difference in their TCFs (ΔTCF) to always have the same sign of their values. The Z-cut LGS substrate plane was taken as an example, and the two suitable substrate cuts with propagation angles of 74 and 80° were chosen to derive a monotonic frequency-temperatureresponse for LGS SAW sensors at -50 to 540 °C. Experiments on a LGS SAW sensor using the above two substrate cuts were designed, and its measured frequency-temperatureresponse at -50 to 540 °C agreed well with the theory, demonstrating the high accuracy of the proposed method.

Transdermal drug delivery system (TDDS) was prepared with temperature-responsive hydrogel. The graphite was oxidized and incorporated into hydrogel matrix to improve the thermal response of hydrogel. The micro heater was fabricated to control the temperature precisely by adopting a joule heating method. The drug in hydrogel was delivered through a hairless mouse skin by controlling temperature. The efficiency of drug delivery was improved obviously by incorporation of graphite oxide due to the excellent thermal conductivity and the increased interfacial affinity between graphite oxide and hydrogel matrix. The fabricated micro heater was effective in controlling the temperature over lower critical solution temperature of hydrogel precisely with a small voltage less than 1 V. The cell viability test on graphite oxide composite hydrogel showed enough safety for using as a transdermal drug delivery patch. The performance of TDDS could be improved noticeably based on temperature-responsive hydrogel, thermally conductive graphite oxide, and efficient micro heater. - Graphical abstract: The high-performance transdermal drug delivery system could be prepared by combining temperature-responsive hydrogel, thermally conductive graphite oxide with improved interfacial affinity, and efficient micro heater fabricated by a joule heating method. Highlights: ► High performance of transdermal drug delivery system with an easy control of voltage. ► Improved thermal response of hydrogel by graphite oxide incorporation. ► Efficient micro heater fabricated by a joule heating method.

The temperature dependency of denitrification and anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) rates from Arctic fjord sediments was investigated in a temperature gradient block incubator for temperatures ranging from -1 to 40°C. Community structure in intact sediments and slurry incubations was determined using Illumina SSU rRNA gene sequencing. The optimal temperature (Topt ) for denitrification was 25-27°C, whereas anammox rates were optimal at 12-17°C. Both denitrification and anammox exhibited temperatureresponses consistent with a psychrophilic community, but anammox bacteria may be more specialized for psychrophilic activity. Long-term (1-2 months) warming experiments indicated that temperature increases of 5-10°C above in situ had little effect on the microbial community structure or the temperatureresponse of denitrification and anammox. Increases of 25°C shifted denitrification temperatureresponses to mesophilic with concurrent community shifts, and anammox activity was eliminated above 25°C. Additions of low molecular weight organic substrates (acetate and lactate) caused increases in denitrification rates, corroborating the hypothesis that the supply of organic substrates is a more dominant control of respiration rates than low temperature. These results suggest that climate-related changes in sinking particulate flux will likely alter rates of N removal more rapidly than warming. PMID:25115991

Block copolymers (BCPs) have attracted a great deal of scientific and technological interest due to their ability to spontaneously self-assemble into dense periodic nanostructures with a typical length scale of 5 to 50 nm. The use of self-assembled BCP thin-films as templates to form nanopatterns over large-area is referred to as BCP lithography. Directed self-assembly of BCPs is now viewed as a viable candidate for sub-20 nm lithography by the semiconductor industry. However, there are multiple aspects of assembly and materials design that need to be addressed in order for BCP lithography to be successful. These include substrate modification with polymer brushes or mats, tailoring of the block copolymer chemistry, understanding thin-film assembly and developing epitaxial like methods to control long range alignment. The rational design, synthesis and self-assembly of block copolymers with large interaction parameters (chi) is described in the first part of this dissertation. Two main blocks were chosen for introducing polarity into the BCP system, namely poly(4-hydroxystyrene) and poly(2-vinylpyridine). Each of these blocks are capable of ligating Lewis acids which can increase the etch contrast between the blocks allowing for facile pattern transfer to the underlying substrate. These BCPs were synthesized by living anionic polymerization and showed excellent control over molecular weight and dispersity, providing access to sub 5-nm domain sizes. Polymer brushes consist of a polymer chain with one end tethered to the surface and have wide applicability in tuning surface energy, forming responsive surfaces and increasing biocompatibility. In the second part of the dissertation, we present a universal method to grow dense polymer brushes on a wide range of substrates and combine this chemistry with BCP assembly to fabricate nanopatterned polymer brushes. This is the first demonstration of introducing additional functionality into a BCP directing layer and opens up

Surface tensions of micellar block copolymers of poly(styrene-b-dimethylsiloxane) (PS-b-PDMS) films are obtained by X-ray diffuse scattering. PS-b-PDMS films on Si substrates with the thicknesses from 36 to 588 nm were investigated at temperatures of 30 - 215 .deg. C. The surface tension reflects the concentration of PDMS micelles which are preferably located at the surface. The molar fraction of PDMS micelles near the surface is estimated by using angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

Here, a simple yet robust method is developed to fabricate oriented protein nanoarrays by employing a block copolymer (BCP) template, which presents nano-scaled spot areas at high-density arrays. Unlike the conventional BCP nanolithography, the BCP platform described here resists nonspecific protein adsorption and prevents the denaturation of immobilized proteins in aqueous solution. The orderly arranged array areas are functionalized by linking chemistry which allows for the precise control of protein orientation. This approach allows us to generate potentially oriented protein nanoarrays at high-density array spots, which is useful for miniaturized nanoarrays within high-throughput proteomic applications. PMID:26785818

Synthesis method of the resin is that crosslinked polybutyl acrylate latex is used as base latex. Styrene (St) and acrylonitrile (AN) are grafted onto polybutyl acrylate latex particle and turn into core-shell copolymer. The resin is a good resin's impact modifier. There are study of influence regularity about additive emulsifier, initiator, monomer concentration, the ratio of St to AN, chain transfer to graft polymerization. A kind of core-shell resin used as impact modifier is obtained. (A) Preparation of Crosslinked Butyl Acrylate Rubber Latex ……

@@ Synthesis method of the resin is that crosslinked polybutyl acrylate latex is used as base latex. Styrene (St) and acrylonitrile (AN) are grafted onto polybutyl acrylate latex particle and turn into core-shell copolymer. The resin is a good resin's impact modifier. There are study of influence regularity about additive emulsifier, initiator, monomer concentration, the ratio of St to AN, chain transfer to graft polymerization. A kind of core-shell resin used as impact modifier is obtained. (A) Preparation of Crosslinked Butyl Acrylate Rubber Latex

Control system studies were performed for the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) interfaced to the High Temperature Electrolysis (HTE) plant. Temperature change and associated thermal stresses are important factors in determining plant lifetime. In the NGNP the design objective of a 40 year lifetime for the Intermediate Heat Exchanger (IHX) in particular is seen as a challenge. A control system was designed to minimize temperature changes in the IHX and more generally at all high-temperature locations in the plant for duty-cycle transients. In the NGNP this includes structures at the reactor outlet and at the inlet to the turbine. This problem was approached by identifying those high-level factors that determine temperature rates of change. First are the set of duty cycle transients over which the control engineer has little control but which none-the-less must be addressed. Second is the partitioning of the temperatureresponse into a quasi-static component and a transient component. These two components are largely independent of each other and when addressed as such greater understanding of temperature change mechanisms and how to deal with them is achieved. Third is the manner in which energy and mass flow rates are managed. Generally one aims for a temperature distribution that minimizes spatial non-uniformity of thermal expansion in a component with time. This is can be achieved by maintaining a fixed spatial temperature distribution in a component during transients. A general rule of thumb for heat exchangers is to maintain flow rate proportional to thermal power. Additionally the product of instantaneous flow rate and heat capacity should be maintained the same on both sides of the heat exchanger. Fourth inherent mechanisms for stable behavior should not be compromised by active controllers that can introduce new feedback paths and potentially create under-damped response. Applications of these principles to the development of a plant control strategy for

The clinical efficacy of a therapeutic protein, the human growth hormone (hGH), is limited by its short plasma half-life and premature degradation. To overcome this limitation, we proposed a new protein delivery system by the self-assembly and intercalation of a negatively charged hGH onto a positively charged 2D-layered double hydroxide nanoparticle (LDH). The LDH-hGH ionic complex, with an average particle size of approximately 100 nm, retards hGH diffusion. Nanobiohybrid hydrogels (PAEU/LDH-hGH) were prepared by dispersing the LDH-hGH complex into a cationic pH- and temperature-sensitive injectable PAEU copolymer hydrogel to enhance sustained hGH release by dual ionic interactions. Biodegradable copolymer hydrogels comprising poly(β-amino ester urethane) and triblock poly(ε-caprolactone-lactide)-poly(ethylene glycol)-poly-(ε-caprolactone-lactide) (PCLA-PEG-PCLA) were synthesized and characterized. hGH was self-assembled and intercalated onto layered LDH nanoparticles through an anion exchange technique. X-ray diffraction and zeta potential results showed that the LDH-hGH complex was prepared successfully and that the PAEU/LDH-hGH nanobiohybrid hydrogel had a disordered intercalated nanostructure. The biocompatibility of the nanobiohybrid hydrogel was confirmed by an in vitro cytotoxicity test. The in vivo degradation of pure PAEU and its nanobiohybrid hydrogels was investigated and it showed a controlled degradation of the PAEU/LDH nanobiohybrids compared with the pristine PAEU copolymer hydrogel. The LDH-hGH loaded injectable hydrogels suppressed the initial burst release of hGH and extended the release period for 13 days in vitro and 5 days in vivo. The developed nanohybrid hydrogel has the potential for application as a protein carrier to improve patient compliance.The clinical efficacy of a therapeutic protein, the human growth hormone (hGH), is limited by its short plasma half-life and premature degradation. To overcome this limitation, we proposed a new

Binary diblock copolymers and corresponding ternary miktoarm stars are studied at oil-water interfaces. All polymers contain oil-soluble poly(propylene oxide) PPO, water-soluble poly(dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) PDMAEMA and/or poly(ethylene oxide) PEO. The features of their Langmuir compression isotherms are well related to the ones of the corresponding homopolymers. Within the Langmuir-trough, PEO-b-PPO acts as the most effective amphiphile compared to the other PPO-containing copolymers. In contrast, the compression isotherms show a complexation of PPO and PDMAEMA for PPO-b-PDMAEMA and the star, reducing their overall amphiphilicity. Such complex formation between the blocks of PPO-b-PDMAEMA is prevented in bulk water but facilitated at the interface. The weakly-interacting blocks of PPO-b-PDMAEMA form a complex due to their enhanced proximity in such confined environments. Scanning force microscopy and Monte Carlo simulations with varying confinement support our results, which are regarded as compliant with the mathematical random walk theorem by Pólya. Finally, the results are expected to be of relevance for e.g. emulsion formulation and macromolecular engineering. PMID:25807174

Poly(ethylene oxide) - poly(propylene oxide) - poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO-PPO-PEO) block copolymers, commercially known as Pluronics, are a unique family of amphiphilic triblock polymers, which self-assemble into micelles in aqueous solution. These copolymers have shown promise in therapeutic, biomedical, cosmetic, and nanotech applications. As-received samples of Pluronics contain low molecular weight impurities (introduced during the manufacturing and processing), that are ignored in most applications. It has been observed, however, that in semi-dilute aqueous solutions, at concentrations above 1 wt%, the temperature dependent micellization behavior of the Pluronics is altered. Anomalous behavior includes a shift of the critical micellization temperature and formation of large aggregates at intermediate temperatures before stable sized micelles form. We attribute this behavior to the low molecular weight impurities that are inherent to the Pluronics which interfere with the micellization process. Through the use of Dynamic Light Scattering and HPLC, we compared the anomalous behavior of different Pluronics of different impurity levels to their purified counterparts.

Carbon dioxide removal from light gases (eg. N2, CH4, and H2) is a very important technology for industrial applications such as natural gas sweetening, CO2 capture from coal-fire power plant exhausts and hydrogen production. Current CO2 separation method uses amine-absorption, which is energy-intensive and requires frequent maintenance. Membrane separation is a cost-effective solution to this problem, especially in small-scale applications. Ionic liquids have recently received increasing interest in this area because of their selective solubility for CO2 and non-volatility. However, ionic liquid itself lacks the persistent structure and mechanical integrity to withstand the high pressure for gas separation. Here, we report the development and gas separation performances of physically crosslinked ion gels based on self-assembly of ABA-triblock copolymers in ionic liquids. Three different types of polymers was used to achieve gelation in ionic liquids. Specifically, a triblock copolymer ion gel with a polymerized ionic liquid mid-block shows performances higher than the upper bound of well-known ``Robeson Plot'' for CO2/N2.

Block polymer micelles offer a host of technological applications including drug delivery, viscosity modification, toughening of plastics, and colloidal stabilization. Molecular exchange between micelles directly influences the stability, structure and access to an equilibrium state in such systems and this property recently has been shown to be extraordinarily sensitive to the core block molecular weight in diblock copolymers. The dependence of micelle chain exchange dynamics on molecular architecture has not been reported. The present work conclusively addresses this issue using time-resolved small-angle neutron scattering (TR-SANS) applied to complimentary S-EP-S and EP-S-EP triblock copolymers dissolved in squalane, a selective solvent for the EP blocks, where S and EP refer to poly(styrene) and poly(ethylenepropylene), respectively. Following the overall SANS intensity as a function of time from judiciously deuterium labelled polymer and solvent mixtures directly probes the rate of molecular exchange. Remarkably, the two triblocks display exchange rates that differ by approximately ten orders of magnitude, even though the solvophobic S blocks are of comparable size. This discovery is considered in the context of a model that successfully explains S-EP diblock exchange dynamics.

In many ionic block copolymer systems, the strong incompatibility between ionic and non-ionic segments will trap non-equilibrium structures in the film, making it difficult to engineer the optimal domain sizes and transport pathways. The goal of this work is to establish a framework for controlling the solid-state structure of sulfonated pentablock copolymer membranes. They have ABCBA block sequence, where A is poly(t-butyl styrene), B is poly(hydrogenated isoprene), and C is poly(styrene sulfonate). To process into films, the polymer is dissolved in toluene/n-propanol solvent mixtures, where the solvent proportions and the polymer loading were both varied. Solution-state structure was measured with small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). We detected micelles with radii that depend on the solvent composition and polymer loading. Film structure was measured with grazing-incidence SAXS, which shows (i) domain periodicity is constant throughout film thickness; (ii) domain periodicity depends on solvent composition and polymer loading, and approximately matches the micelle radii in solutions. The solid-state packing is consistent with a hard sphere structure factor. Results suggest that solid-state structure can be tuned by manipulating the solution-state self-assembly.

For several decades, block copolymers have been employed as surfactants to reduce interfacial energy for applications from emulsification to surface adhesion. While the simplest approach employs symmetric diblocks, studies have examined asymmetric diblocks, multiblock copolymers, gradient copolymers, and copolymer-grafted nanoparticles. However, there exists no established approach to determining the optimal copolymer compatibilizer sequence for a given application. Here we employ molecular dynamics simulations within a genetic algorithm to identify copolymer surfactant sequences yielding maximum reductions the interfacial energy of model immiscible polymers. The optimal copolymer sequence depends significantly on surfactant concentration. Most surprisingly, at high surface concentrations, where the surfactant achieves the greatest interfacial energy reduction, specific non-periodic sequences are found to significantly outperform any regularly blocky sequence. This emergence of polymer sequence-specificity within a non-sequenced environment adds to a recent body of work suggesting that specific sequence may have the potential to play a greater role in polymer properties than previously understood. We acknowledge the W. M. Keck Foundation for financial support of this research.

Biocompatible polymers are known to act as scaffolds for the regeneration and growth of bone. Block copolymers are of interest as scaffold materials because a number of the blocks are biocompatible, and their nanostructure is easily tunable with synthetic techniques. In this paper, we report the synthesis of a novel class of biomaterials from block copolymers containing a hydrophobic block of methyl methacrylate and a hydrophilic block of either acrylic acid, dimethyl acrylamide, or 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate. The block copolymers were synthesized using a combination of reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization and click chemistry. Since the surface morphology is critical for successful cell growth, atomic force microscopy (AFM) studies were conducted for selected block copolymers. The topography, phase angle and friction maps were obtained in dry and physiological buffer environments to study the morphology. Results of AFM imaging identified the presence of polymer domains corresponding to the copolymer components. The distribution of nanoscale features in these block copolymers is comparable to those found on other surfaces that exhibit favorable cell adhesion and growth. In physiological buffer medium, the hydrophilic component of the block copolymer (acrylic acid or hydroxyethyl methacrylate) appears to be present in greater amounts on the surface as a consequence of water absorption and swelling.

Biocompatible polymers are known to act as scaffolds for the regeneration and growth of bone. Block copolymers are of interest as scaffold materials because a number of the blocks are biocompatible, and their nanostructure is easily tunable with synthetic techniques. In this paper, we report the synthesis of a novel class of biomaterials from block copolymers containing a hydrophobic block of methyl methacrylate and a hydrophilic block of either acrylic acid, dimethyl acrylamide, or 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate. The block copolymers were synthesized using a combination of reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization and click chemistry. Since the surface morphology is critical for successful cell growth, atomic force microscopy (AFM) studies were conducted for selected block copolymers. The topography, phase angle and friction maps were obtained in dry and physiological buffer environments to study the morphology. Results of AFM imaging identified the presence of polymer domains corresponding to the copolymer components. The distribution of nanoscale features in these block copolymers is comparable to those found on other surfaces that exhibit favorable cell adhesion and growth. In physiological buffer medium, the hydrophilic component of the block copolymer (acrylic acid or hydroxyethyl methacrylate) appears to be present in greater amounts on the surface as a consequence of water absorption and swelling.

Full Text Available Thermo-responsive diblock copolymers composed of hydrophilic methoxy poly(ethylene glycol (MPEG and hydrophobic biodegradable polyesters were prepared for application as injectable drug delivery systems, because they show a thermo-responsive sol-to-gel transition, especially around body temperature, when dispersed in aqueous solutions. The thermogelling hydrogels formed by hydrophobic aggregation could be varied by changing the components of the hydrophobic polyester part. For the polyester block in the present study, 95 mol% of ε-caprolactone (CL was used for the main polyester chain and 5 mol% of p-dioxanone (DO was copolymerized randomly by the MPEG initiator in the presence of HCl as the catalyst. By adding a small portion of DO into the poly ε-caprolactone (PCL chains, the temperature range of gelation, the intensity of viscosity and the drug release behavior were changed. The MPEG-b-poly(ε-caprolactone-ran-p-dioxanone (MPEG-b-PCDO hydrogel showed the enhanced drug release in vitro and in vivo compared to MPEG-b-PCL hydrogel. Therefore, MPEG-polyester hydrogels may serve as minimally invasive and therapeutic, injectable hydrogel systems with adjustable temperature-responsive and biodegradable windows, as well as sustained release of drugs over a certain time period.

Polystyrene-graft-polydimethylsiloxane (PS-g-PDMS) copolymers with different PDMS content were synthesized by the radical bulk copolymerization of PDMS macromonomer and styrene.The copolymers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR),1H-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR),thermogravimetric analysis (TGA),dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA),transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and the mechanical properties of the copolymers were also carried out.It was indicated that the notched impact strength and elongation at break of the polymers increased with the increase of PDMS content.The thermal stability of PS-g-PDMS is better than that of PS.

Full Text Available Viscometric studies of graft copolymers (methyl cellulose g polyacrylamide were made at four temperatures. The values of intrinsic viscosity of the graft copolymers were found to be much less than the linear methyl cellulose which was used as a backbone polymer. Intrinsic viscosity also decreased with the increase in the number and length of the branches.Huggin's slope constant k' was found to be much higher than the linear methyl cellulose. k' values also increased with increase in the number of the branches as well as the length of the branches and are temperature dependent. These observations clearly indicate the branched nature of the copolymer.

Novel fluorinated copolymers of different architectures and bearing sulfopropyl groups were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of aromatic fluorinated monomers and two modification reactions performed on the polymer chain - demethylation followed by sulfopropylation. As a....... The second type copolymers have diblock architecture with one.of the blocks being sulfopropyl~ed. They were synthesized via ATRP of 2,3,4,5,6pentafluorostyrene (FS) initiated by PTFMS-macroinitiator followed by demethylation and sulfopropylation performed on the TFMS-block (Scheme 1). The) copolymers...

Acrylonitrile (AN) binary copolymers with styrene (St) and maleic acid (MA) of different compositions were prepared by free radical emulsion copolymerization using potassium persulfate and sodium bisulfite as a redox pair initiation system and sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate as an emulsifier. Based on the copolymerization data of the (AN/St) and (AN/MA) in emulsion polymerization process, the reactivity ratios of the prepared copolymers were investigated by different methods. Thermogravimetric analysis and X-ray diffraction were studied to characterize the prepared copolymers. Physicomechanical properties of some copolymeric lattices films were also identified

Oxygen consumption and yield of oxidation products during ν-irradiation were studied on five types of polyethylene (PE), ethylene-butene copolymer (EB), and ethylene-propylene copolymer (EPR) using gas chromatography, mass spectrography, and high-resolution NMR. Samples were irradiated in oxygen under pressure from 0 to 500 torr by 60Co ν-rays up to 20 Mrad at 22-250C. In enough oxygen, oxygen consumption and yield of oxidation products are independent of oxygen pressure for low-density PE, EB, and EPR. The G values of oxygen consumption were 14-18.4 for PE, 11.6 for EB at 1 x 106 rad/h, and 8.3 for EPR at 2 x 105 rad/h. The oxidation products determined were carboxylic acid (-CH2-CO-OH), H2O, CO2, and CO. The oxygen consumption and oxidation products for PE were found to increase with increasing crystallinity

Mechanical properties of poly(styrene-b-n-butylmethacrylate) diblock copolymers, PS-b-PBMA, with different lengths of the polystyrene block were investigated. The copolymers display a composition range where the tensile strength of the block copolymers exceeds the values of the corresponding homopol

In comparison of molecular structure of tetrafluoroethylene and propylene copolymer produced by radiation and chemical initiators respectively, both were fractionated by elution method and fine structure was examined. For the fractionated sample by radiation, the relation between molecular weight anti Mn and intrinsic viscosity ( eta] is ( eta] = 3.97 x 10-4 anti Mnsup(0.630) The result is not in agreement with that of the unfractionated sample by radiation, and similar to those of samples by chemical initiators. There is no difference, however, in the elution method of GPC between both these copolymers; the elution behavior agrees with that of standard polystyrene. Long chain branching thus exists little in the copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene and propylene. To reveal the relations between reaction conditions and molecular weight and its distribution of the copolymer produced by flow apparatus, the molecular weight distribution was measured by GPC. The method of analysis could evaluate molecular weight distribution changing constantly. (auth.)

Linear block copolymers of polystyrene and polysaccharide were synthesized using a block synthesis method with amino-terminated polystyrene and sodium cyanoborohydride as reducing agent. Different types of polysaccharides, dextrans, and maltodextrins with various molecular weights were used. IR spec

A new class of rod-coil block copolymers is synthesized by chemoenzymatic polymerization. In the first step, maltoheptaose, which acts as a primer for the synthesis of amylose, is attached to poly(2-vinyl pyridine) (P2 VP). The enzymatic polymerization of maltoheptaose is carried out by phosphorylase to obtain amylose-b-P2 VP block copolymers. The block copolymer is characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, gel permeation chromatography, and wide-angle X-ray scattering techniques. The designed molecules combine the inclusion complexation ability of amylose with the supramolecular complexation ability of P2 VP and therefore this kind of rod-coil block copolymers can be used to generate well-organized novel self-assembled structures. PMID:26437256

Stimuli-responsive copolymers demonstrate diverse aggregation behavior in aqueous solution. In general, the molecular architecture and the balance of hydrophilic and hydrophobic volumes influence morphology. This study involves polypeptide-based ABA linear triblock and AB2 star copolymer (which structurally resemble phospholipids) amphiphiles. Model systems for this study are poly(L-lysine)-b-poly(propylene oxide)-b-poly(L-lysine) (KPK) triblocks and poly(L-glutamate) (PE) based star copolymers. Extensive studies with KPK systems have resulted in morphological transitions by modifying pH, and we hypothesize that a change in individual chain conformation is the driving force for these transitions. Preliminary results for PE-based star copolymers with various hydrophobic moieties suggest polymersome (vesicle) formation. Light scattering (dynamic and static) and TEM were used to determine aggregate size and morphology as a function of pH; furthermore, circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy was used to measure helix-to-coil transitions of the polypeptide blocks.

The copolymer of polyacrylate/polysiloxane for vibration damping materials was synthesized through emulsion polymerization. The effects of the amount of methyl methacrylate (MMA),polysiloxane containing vinyl, initiator and emulsifier on the conversion, stability of polyacrylate/polysiloxane emulsion were discussed when the emulsion was prepared by pre-emulsifying half continuous method. The graft copolymer has good vibration damping performance. The widest glass transition region of the copolymer spans 100℃, and the highest value of tanδ reached 2.0. The glass transition of the samples was examined by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The vibration damping performance of the graft copolymer was affected by the amount of poly-vinyl dimethylsiloxane (PVMS).

The compositional heterogeneity of two impact polypropylcne copolymers (IPCs) was studied by a combinatory investigation of temperature rising elution fractionation (TREF) and solvent fractionation.The chain structures and composition of fractions obtained from solvent fractionation were examined in detail.The TREF results shows that there are much more E-P segmented copolymer and more uniform distribution of ethylene sequence in IPC-1,which is responsible for its better comprehensive mechanical performance.The fractions from hexane and heptane are ethylene-propylene rubber phase and E-P block copolymers respectively.The result of solvent fractionation method also shows that custom hexane or heptaae extractions can not extract the E-P copolymer completely.

A series of acrylonitrile (AN) copolymers with methyl acrylate (MA) or ethyl acrylate (EA) as comonomer (5-23 wt%) was prepared by free-radical copolymerization. The permeability coefficients of the copolymers to oxygen and carbon dioxide were measured at 1.0 MPa and at 30 ℃, and those to water vapor also measured at 100% relative humidity and at 30 ℃. All the AN/acrylic copolymers are semicrystalline. As the acrylate content increase, the permeability coefficients of the copolymers to oxygen and carbon dioxide are increased progressively, but those to water vapor are decreased progressively. The gas permeability coefficients of the polymers were correlated with free-volume fractions or the ratio of free volume to cohesive energy.

Nanopatterned surfaces are prepared by a method that includes forming a block copolymer film on a substrate, annealing and surface reconstructing the block copolymer film to create an array of cylindrical voids, depositing a metal on the surface-reconstructed block copolymer film, and heating the metal-coated block copolymer film to redistribute at least some of the metal into the cylindrical voids. When very thin metal layers and low heating temperatures are used, metal nanodots can be formed. When thicker metal layers and higher heating temperatures are used, the resulting metal structure includes nanoring-shaped voids. The nanopatterned surfaces can be transferred to the underlying substrates via etching, or used to prepare nanodot- or nanoring-decorated substrate surfaces.

Full Text Available In a recent paper Hu et al. (2011 suggest that the recovery of stratospheric ozone during the first half of this century will significantly enhance free tropospheric and surface warming caused by the anthropogenic increase of greenhouse gases, with the effects being most pronounced in Northern Hemisphere middle and high latitudes. These surprising results are based on a multi-model analysis of IPCC AR4 model simulations with and without prescribed stratospheric ozone recovery. Hu et al. suggest that in order to properly quantify the tropospheric and surface temperatureresponse to stratospheric ozone recovery, it is necessary to run coupled atmosphere-ocean climate models with stratospheric ozone chemistry. The results of such an experiment are presented here, using a state-of-the-art chemistry-climate model coupled to a three-dimensional ocean model. In contrast to Hu et al., we find a much smaller Northern Hemisphere tropospheric temperatureresponse to ozone recovery, which is of opposite sign. We argue that their result is an artifact of the incomplete removal of the large effect of greenhouse gas warming between the two different sets of models.

Full Text Available In a recent paper Hu et al. (2011 suggest that the recovery of stratospheric ozone during the first half of this century will significantly enhance free tropospheric and surface warming caused by the anthropogenic increase of greenhouse gases, with the effects being most pronounced in Northern Hemisphere middle and high latitudes. These surprising results are based on a multi-model analysis of CMIP3 model simulations with and without prescribed stratospheric ozone recovery. Hu et al. suggest that in order to properly quantify the tropospheric and surface temperatureresponse to stratospheric ozone recovery, it is necessary to run coupled atmosphere-ocean climate models with stratospheric ozone chemistry. The results of such an experiment are presented here, using a state-of-the-art chemistry-climate model coupled to a three-dimensional ocean model. In contrast to Hu et al., we find a much smaller Northern Hemisphere tropospheric temperatureresponse to ozone recovery, which is of opposite sign. We suggest that their result is an artifact of the incomplete removal of the large effect of greenhouse gas warming between the two different sets of models.

To integrate biological imaging and multimodal therapies into one platform for enhanced anti-cancer efficacy, we have designed a novel core/shell structured nano-theranostic by conjugating photosensitive Au25(SR)18 - (SR refers to thiolate) clusters, pH/temperature-responsive polymer P(NIPAm-MAA), and anti-cancer drug (doxorubicin, DOX) onto the surface of mesoporous silica coated core-shell up-conversion nanoparticles (UCNPs). It is found that the photodynamic therapy (PDT) derived from the generated reactive oxygen species and the photothermal therapy (PTT) arising from the photothermal effect can be simultaneously triggered by a single 980 nm near infrared (NIR) light. Furthermore, the thermal effect can also stimulate the pH/temperature sensitive polymer in the cancer sites, thus realizing the targeted and controllable DOX release. The combined PDT, PTT and pH/temperatureresponsive chemo-therapy can markedly improve the therapeutic efficacy, which has been confirmed by both in intro and in vivo assays. Moreover, the doped rare earths endow the platform with dual-modal up-conversion luminescent (UCL) and computer tomography (CT) imaging properties, thus achieving the target of imaging-guided synergistic therapy under by a single NIR light. PMID:26093792

Full Text Available We used temperature-responsive culture dishes onto which the temperature-responsive polymer, poly(Nisopropylacrylamide, was covalently grafted for tissue engineering. Confluent cells harvested as intact sheets from these surfaces by simple temperature reduction can be transferred to various surfaces including additional culture dishes, other cell sheets, and tissues. In order to examine the maintenance of cell polarity, Madin-Darby canine kidney cells and human primary renal proximal tubule epithelial cells which had developed apical-basal cell polarity in culture, were subjected to cell sheet transfer. This functional and structural cell polarity, which is susceptible to treatment with trypsin, was examined by immunohistochemistry and transmission electron microscopy. Using our cell-sheet method, the noninvasive transfer of these cell sheets retaining typical distributions of Na+/K+-ATPase, GLUT-1, SGLT-1, aquaporin-1, neutral endopeptidase and dipeptidylendopeptidase IV, could be achieved. The transferred cell sheets also developed numerous microvilli and tight junctions at the apical and lateral membranes, respectively. For biochemical analysis, immunoblotting of occludin, a transmembrane protein that composes tight junctions, was conducted and results confirmed that occludin remained intact after cell sheet transfer. This two-dimensional cell sheet manipulation method promises to be useful for tissue engineering as well as in the investigation of epithelial cell polarity.

Temperatureresponsive molecularly imprinted polymers (T-MIPs) were prepared based on the surface of yeast by electron transfer atom transfer radical polymerization (AGET ATRP). The as-prepared T-MIPs were charcterized by FT-IR, SEM, TGA and elemental analysis, which indicated that T-MIPs exhibited thermal stability and composed of temperatureresponsive imprinted layer. Then T-MIPs were evaluated as sorbents to selectively recognise and release cefalexin (CFX) molecules. The results suggested binding properties of T-MIPs were related to the testing temperature. The maximum adsorption capacity of T-MIPs at 303 K was 59.4 mg g{sup −1}, and the maximum release proportion for T-MIPs at 293 K in water for 24 h was 71.08%. The selective recognition experiments demonstrated high affinity and selectivity of T-MIPs towards CFX over competitive compounds, and the specific recognition of binding sites may be based on the distinct size, structure and functional group to the template molecules.

Temperatureresponsive molecularly imprinted polymers (T-MIPs) were prepared based on the surface of yeast by electron transfer atom transfer radical polymerization (AGET ATRP). The as-prepared T-MIPs were charcterized by FT-IR, SEM, TGA and elemental analysis, which indicated that T-MIPs exhibited thermal stability and composed of temperatureresponsive imprinted layer. Then T-MIPs were evaluated as sorbents to selectively recognise and release cefalexin (CFX) molecules. The results suggested binding properties of T-MIPs were related to the testing temperature. The maximum adsorption capacity of T-MIPs at 303 K was 59.4 mg g-1, and the maximum release proportion for T-MIPs at 293 K in water for 24 h was 71.08%. The selective recognition experiments demonstrated high affinity and selectivity of T-MIPs towards CFX over competitive compounds, and the specific recognition of binding sites may be based on the distinct size, structure and functional group to the template molecules.

A copolymer of bismaleimide-diallylbisphenol A-diphenylsilandiol was synthesized and the copolymerization was studied by using N-phenylmaleimide, bisphenol A and diphenylsilandiol as model compounds. The copolymer could be well cured around 200 ℃, and the cured resins had good thermal stability. In the range of 170-210 ℃, a higher curing temperature was favorable to obtain more thermal stable resin by reducing the content of diphenylsilandiol cyclo-homopolymer in resin which would spoil its thermal stability.

In this paper we study a model describing a copolymer in a micro-emulsion. The copolymer consists of a random concatenation of hydrophobic and hydrophilic monomers, the micro-emulsion consists of large blocks of oil and water arranged in a percolation-type fashion. The interaction Hamiltonian assigns energy $-\\alpha$ to hydrophobic monomers in oil and energy &-\\beta$ to hydrophilic monomers in water, where $\\alpha,\\beta$ are parameters that without loss of generality are taken to lie in the c...

Viscometric studies of graft copolymers (methyl cellulose g polyacrylamide) were made at four temperatures. The values of intrinsic viscosity of the graft copolymers were found to be much less than the linear methyl cellulose which was used as a backbone polymer. Intrinsic viscosity also decreased with the increase in the number and length of the branches.Huggin's slope constant k' was found to be much higher than the linear methyl cellulose. k' values also increased with increase in the numb...

We present the results of extensive numerical off-lattice Monte Carlo simulations of semiflexible block-copolymer chains adsorbed onto flat homogeneous surfaces. We have compared the behavior of several chain structures, such as homopolymers, diblocks, (AαBα) block copolymers, and random heteropolymers. In all the cases studied, we have found the adsorption process to be favored with an increase of the chain rigidity. Particularly, the adsorption of diblock structures becomes a two-step proce...

Biocompatible polymers are known to act as scaffolds for the regeneration and growth of bone. Block copolymers are of interest as scaffold materials because a number of the blocks are biocompatible, and their nanostructure is easily tunable with synthetic techniques. In this paper, we report the synthesis of a novel class of biomaterials from block copolymers containing a hydrophobic block of methyl methacrylate and a hydrophilic block of either acrylic acid, dimethyl acrylamide, or 2-hydroxy...

Polymers and block copolymers based on 2-alkyl-2-oxazoline have the advantage that their hydrophobicity can be varied by changing the length of the alkyl side chain and that fluorescence groups can be attached to the block ends. We have studied the aggregation behavior of 2-alkyl-2-oxazoline based diblock, triblock and random copolymers in aqueous solutions, using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS), where fluorescence labeled polymers were used as tracers. FCS experiments in combinat...

In this research, several block copolymers were synthesized and characterized with regard to possible pharmaceutical applications. All block copolymers were thermosensitive and self-assembled at 37 °C into structures like micelles and hydrogels, which can be used for innovative drug delivery purposes. Some of the synthesized polymers were biohybrid, in the sense that they contained peptide segments which enabled their cleavage by enzymes that are upregulated in diseased tissues. First, method...

We report on measurements of the transmitted depolarized light intensity and on small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements on a compositionally asymmetric poly(ethylene propylene)-poly(dimethylsiloxane) diblock copolymer studied in the bulk. SANS measurements were made both on isotropic and...... which may be body-centered cubic. The available data cannot, however, finally prove this. These findings are in contrast to both available theories and to expectations based on analogous experiments on related diblock copolymer systems....

The phase behaviour of blends of chlorinated polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and chlorinated PVC with random copolymers of caprolactone and caprolactam has been investigated and the results correlated with a binary interaction model. The known miscibility of polycaprolactone in the chlorinated polymers is not compromised until a relatively high lactam content in the copolymer is attained. The incorporation of segmental interaction parameters, derived from separate studies involving pol...

Superparamagnetic Magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles were synthesized and complexed with carboxylate-functionalized block copolymers, and aqueous dispersions of the complexes were investigated as functions of their chemical and morphological structures. The block copolymer dispersants possessed either poly(ethylene oxide), poly(ethylene oxide-co-propylene oxide), or poly(ethylene oxide-b-propylene oxide) outer blocks, and all contained a polyurethane center block with pendant carboxylate functi...

Amphiphilic block copolymers are used to create bioactive surfaces on biodegradable polymer scaffolds for tissue engineering. Cell-selective biomaterials can be prepared using copolymers containing peptide sequences derived from extracellular-matrix proteins (ECM). Here we discuss alternative ways for preparation of amphiphilic block copolymers composed of hydrophobic polylactide (PLA) and hydrophilic poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) blocks with cell-adhesion peptide sequences. Copolymers PLA-b-PEO were prepared by a living polymerisation of lactide in dioxane with tin(II)2-ethylhexanoate as a catalyst. The following approaches for incorporation of peptides into copolymers were elaborated. (a) First, a side-chain protected Gly-Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser-Gly (GRGDSG) peptide was prepared by solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) and then coupled with delta-hydroxy-Z-amino-PEO in solution. In the second step, the PLA block was grafted to it via a controlled polymerisation of lactide initiated by the hydroxy end-groups of PEO in the side-chain-protected GRGDSG-PEO. Deprotection of the peptide yielded a GRGDSG-b-PEO-b-PLA copolymer, with the peptide attached through its C-end. (b) A protected GRGDSG peptide was built up on a polymer resin and coupled with Z-carboxy-PEO using a solid-phase approach. After cleavage of the delta-hydroxy-PEO-GRGDSG copolymer from the resin, polymerisation of lactide followed by deprotection of the peptide yielded a PLA-b-PEO-b-GRGDSG block copolymer, in which the peptide is linked through its N-terminus. PMID:12903721

Highlights: • Electrochemical copolymerization of OOT and HOT-CNP. • Further reductive coupling of cyanopyridine from HOT-CNP into viologen during cathodic scan. • Redox response of copolymer along with spectral studies confirms formation of viologen. • Spectroelectrochemical analysis of copolymer film indicates its future incorporation into practically usable electrochromic devices. -- Abstract: Electrochemical copolymerization of 3-octyloxy-4-methylthiophene (OOT) and 1-[6-[(4-methyl-3-thienyl) oxy] hexyl]-4-cyanopyridinium bromide (HOT-CNP) was carried out using tetrabutylammonium hexafluorophosphate and acetonitrile (TBAPF6/ACN) as electrolyte. The cyanopyridine functionalized HOT-CNP undergoes further electrochemical reductive coupling to viologen. Both polymer (POOT) and copolymer P(OOT-co-HOT-CNP) were characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and in situ UV–vis spectroscopy. The effect of the monomer concentration ratio and the scan rate on the electrochemical properties of the copolymer was studied by the CV technique. The electrochemical redox response of the copolymer together with FTIR analysis further confirms the formation of viologen. The surface morphology was studied using SEM analysis. The polymer POOT revealed color changes between violet and bright blue, whereas the copolymer showed the most vivid change of color between purple and greenish blue in its fully reduced and oxidized states respectively. The results showed that copolymerization is a valuable approach in order to achieve desired electrochromic and redox properties

The effect of different compositions of monomers on the transport properties of copolymers by various techniques such as optical, electrical and magnetic has been investigated and compared with the homopolymers. The UV-visible absorption spectra show a hypsochromic shift with an increase in the o-anisidine content in copolymers indicating a decrease in the extent for conjugation (i.e. an increase in the bandgap). From temperature dependence of electrical conductivity the transport parameters such as charge localization length and average hopping distance are calculated and also the effect of the monomeric composition on the coherence length has been discussed. The magnetic studies show the paramagnetic and diamagnetic nature of homopolymers and copolymers. The X-ray diffraction pattern indicates that the copolymers are of amorphous nature.

Melt extrusion was used to prepare binary nanocomposites of ethylene copolymers and organoclay and trinary nanocomposites of low-density polyethylene (LDPE), ethylene copolymer and organoclay. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to analyze the structure of the clay phase and the morphology of the nanocomposites. Influences of the comonomer in the copolymer and the content of the copolymer on the morphology of the resulting nanocomposites were discussed. The binary and the trinary composites may form intercalated or exfoliated structures depending on the interaction between the copolymer and the clay layers and the content of the copolymer.

A block copolymer film having a line pattern with a high degree of long-range order is formed by a method that includes forming a block copolymer film on a substrate surface with parallel facets, and annealing the block copolymer film to form an annealed block copolymer film having linear microdomains parallel to the substrate surface and orthogonal to the parallel facets of the substrate. The line-patterned block copolymer films are useful for the fabrication of magnetic storage media, polarizing devices, and arrays of nanowires.

Block copolymers by virtue of their ability to self assemble and microphase-separation due to the contrast in chemical and physical properties of the covalently linked blocks constitute the essential building blocks towards various nano or micro sized architectures. Polyoxometalates (POM), on the other hand, being an interesting class of metal-oxygen nanometer-sized anionic clusters, are regarded highly due to their excellent electron accepting capability. Combining POM clusters with diblock copolymers can lead to a fascinating class of hybrid materials where the POM cluster not only affect the self-assembly process of various diblock copolymers but also brings its unique electronic properties into the hybrid system. Herein we report the detailed synthesis and characterizations of two hybrid coil-coil diblock copolymers along with two hybrid rod-coil diblock copolymers through polymerization-hybridization approach. The coil-coil diblocks were synthesized via atom transfer radial polymerization (ATRP) of styryl-type monomers and 4-vinylpyridine in sequence. For rod-coil diblock copolymers, the coil block was synthesized through ATRP, followed by the conversion of the terminal bromide to an azide. Ethynyl terminated poly (p-phenylenevinylene) (PPV) and poly (3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) were prepared separately as the rod blocks. The rod block and the coil block were connected through click chemistry to yield rod-coil diblock copolymers. After removing the phthalimide protecting groups to regenerate aryl amines, POM clusters were finally linked to the coil block of all diblock copolymers to yield the targeted hybrid diblock copolymers. The covalent cluster attachment was confirmed by UV-Vis spectroscopy, FTIR and cyclovoltammetry measurements. The structures, solution and film optical properties, self-assembled morphologies and solar cell performances of these hybrids have been studied. It has been found that solar cell devices based on hybrid P3HT exhibited rather poor

Incorporating an ionic liquid into one block copolymer microphase provides a platform for combining the outstanding electrochemical properties of ionic liquids with a number of favorable attributes provided by block copolymers. In particular, block copolymers thermodynamically self-assemble into well-ordered nanostructures, which can be engineered to provide a durable mechanical scaffold and template the ionic liquid into continuous ion-conducting nanochannels. Understanding how the addition of an ionic liquid affects the thermodynamic self-assembly of block copolymers, and how the confinement of ionic liquids to block copolymer nanodomains affects their ion-conducting properties is essential for predictable structure-property control. The lyotropic phase behavior of block copolymer/ionic liquid mixtures is shown to be reminiscent of mixtures of block copolymers with selective molecular solvents. A variety of ordered microstructures corresponding to lamellae, hexagonally close-packed cylinders, body-centered cubic, and face-centered cubic oriented micelles are observed in a model system composed of mixtures of imidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([Im][TFSI]) and poly(styrene- b-2-vinyl pyridine) (PS-b-P2VP). In contrast to block copolymer/molecular solvent mixtures, the interfacial area occupied by each PS-b-P2VP chain decreases upon the addition of [Im][TFSI], indicating a considerable increase in the effective segregation strength of the PS-b-P2VP copolymer with ionic liquid addition. The relationship between membrane structure and ionic conductivity is illuminated through the development of scaling relationships that describe the ionic conductivity of block copolymer/ionic liquid mixtures as a function of membrane composition and temperature. It is shown that the dominant variable influencing conductivity is the overall volume fraction of ionic liquid in the mixture, which means there is incredible freedom in designing the block copolymer architecture

Full Text Available Temperature-responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide microgels crosslinked with a new hydrophobic chemical crosslinker was prepared by surfactant-mediated precipitation emulsion polymerization. The temperature-responsive property of the microgel and the influence of the crosslinker on the swelling behaviour was studied systematically by light scattering and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS. The radius of gyration (Rg and the hydrodynamic radius (Rh of the microgels decreased with increase in temperature due to the volume-phase transition from a swollen to a collapsed state. The ratio of Rg/Rh below the transition temperature was lower than that of hard-spheres due to the lower crosslinking density of the microgels. The SAXS data were analysed by a model in which the microgels were modelled as core-shell particles with a graded interface. The model at intermediate temperatures included a central core and a more diffuse outer layer describing pending polymer chains with a low crosslinking density. In the fully swollen state, the microgels were modelled with a single component with a broad graded surface. In the collapsed state, they were modelled as homogeneous and relatively compact particles. The polymer volume fraction inside the microgel was also derived based on the model and was found to increase with increase in the temperature as a result of collapse of the microgel to compact particles. The polymer volume fraction in the core of the microgel in the collapsed state was about 60% which is higher than that of similar microgels crosslinked with hydrophilic and flexible crosslinkers.

Two strategies for introducing disulfide groups at the outer surface of RAFT-synthesized poly(glycerol monomethacrylate)-poly(2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate) (PGMA-PHPMA, or Gx-Hy for brevity) diblock copolymer worms are investigated. The first approach involved statistical copolymerization of GMA with a small amount of disulfide dimethacrylate (DSDMA, or D) comonomer to afford a G54-D0.50 macromolecular chain transfer agent (macro-CTA); this synthesis was conducted in relatively dilute solution in order to ensure mainly intramolecular cyclization and hence the formation of linear chains. Alternatively, a new disulfide-based bifunctional RAFT agent (DSDB) was used to prepare a G45-S-S-G45 (or (G45-S)2) macro-CTA. A binary mixture of a non-functionalized G55 macro-CTA was utilized with each of these two disulfide-based macro-CTAs in turn for the RAFT aqueous dispersion polymerization of 2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate (HPMA). By targeting a PHPMA DP of 130 and systematically varying the molar ratio of the two macro-CTAs, a series of disulfide-functionalized diblock copolymer worm gels were obtained. For both formulations, oscillatory rheology studies confirmed that higher disulfide contents led to stronger gels, presumably as a result of inter-worm covalent bond formation via disulfide/thiol exchange. Using the DSDB-based macro-CTA led to the strongest worm gels, and this formulation also proved to be more effective in suppressing the thermosensitive behavior that is observed for the nondisulfide-functionalized control worm gel. However, macroscopic precipitation occurred when the proportion of DSDB-based macro-CTA was increased to 50 mol %, whereas the DSDMA-based macro-CTA could be utilized at up to 80 mol %. Finally, the worm gel modulus could be reduced to that of a nondisulfide-containing worm gel by reductive cleavage of the inter-worm disulfide bonds using excess tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine (TCEP) to yield thiol groups. These new biomimetic worm gels are

The goal of this work was to evaluate chemically-functionalized block copolymers as adhesion promoters for metal/thermoset resin interfaces. Novel block copolymers were synthesized which contain pendant functional groups reactive toward copper and epoxy resins. In particular, imidazole and triazole functionalities that chelate with copper were incorporated onto one block, while secondary amines were incorporated onto the second block. These copolymers were found to self-assemble from solution onto copper surfaces to form monolayers. The structure of the adsorbed monolayers were studied in detail by neutron reflection and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry. The monolayer structure was found to vary markedly with the solution conditions and adsorption protocol. Appropriate conditions were found for which the two blocks form separate layers on the surface with the amine functionalized block exposed at the air surface. Adhesion testing of block copolymer-coated copper with epoxy resins was performed in both lap shear and peel modes. Modest enhancements in bond strengths were observed with the block copolymer applied to the native oxide. However, it was discovered that the native oxide is the weak link, and that by simply removing the native oxide, and then applying an epoxy resin before the native oxide can reform, excellent bond strength in the as-prepared state as well as excellent retention of bond strength after exposure to solder in ambient conditions are obtained. It is recommended that long term aging studies be performed with and without the block copolymer. In addition, the functionalized block copolymer method should be evaluated for another system that has inherently poor bonding, such as the nickel/silicone interface, and for systems involving metals and alloys which form oxides very rapidly, such as aluminum and stainless steel, where bonding strategies involve stabilizing the native oxide.

Monte Carlo simulations were carried out to study the phase separation of a copolymer blend comprising an alternating copolymer and/or block copolymer in a thin film, and a phase diagram was constructed with a series of composed recipes. The effects of composition and segregation strength on phase separation were discussed in detail. The chain conformation of the block copolymer and alternating copolymer were investigated with changes of the segregation strength. Our simulations revealed that the segment distribution along the copolymer chain and the segregation strength between coarse-grained beads are two important parameters controlling phase separation and chain conformation in thin films of a copolymer blend. A well-controlled phase separation in the copolymer blend can be used to fabricate novel nanostructures.

We report a new parallel patterning technique, molecular transfer printing (MTP), for replicating geometrically complex patterns over macroscopic areas with sub-15 nm feature dimensions, and the ability to replicate the same pattern multiple times. In MTP, inks are mixed with block copolymers (BCPs) and deposited as films on a substrate. The inks are compatible with only one block of the BCP, and sequestered into domains of nanometer scale dimensions after microphase separation. A second substrate is then placed in contact with the surface of the film. By designing the inks to react, adsorb, or otherwise interact with the second substrate, inks are transferred to the second substrate in the exact pattern of domains present at the surface of the ``master'' BCP film. Here we demonstrate high degrees of perfection on both line and dot patterns. We also show that 1) the master template can be regenerated, 2) the resultant replica can be used to direct the assembly of BCPs and as a daughter master for MTP, and 3) the master and daughter templates can be reused tens of times.

Anion exchange membrane (AEM) fuel cells have regained interest because it allows the use of non-noble metal catalysts. Until now, most of the studies on AEM were based on random polyelectrolytes. In this work, Poly(vinylbenzyltrimethylammonium bromide)-b- (methylbutylene) ([PVBTMA][Br]-b-PMB) was studied by SAXS, TEM and dielectric spectroscopy to understand the fundamental structure-conductivity relationship of ion transport mechanisms within well-ordered block copolymers. The ionic conductivity and the formation of order structure were dependent on the casting solvent. Higher ion exchange capacity (IEC) of the membranes showed higher conductivity at as IEC values below 1.8mmol/g, as above this, the ionic conductivity decreases due to more water uptake leading to dilution of charge density. The humidity dependence of morphology exhibited the shifting of d-spacing to higher value and the alteration in higher characteristic peak of SAXS plot as the humidity increase from the dry to wet state. This phenomenon can be further explained by a newly developed polymer brush theory. Three ionic conduction pathways with different conduction mechanism within the membranes can be confirmed by broadband electric spectroscopy. US Army MURI (W911NF1010520)

The hot embossing properties of cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) have been examined as a function of comonomer content. Six standard grades of COC with varying norbornene content (61–82 wt%) were used in these experiments in order to provide a range of glass transition temperatures, Tg. All grades of COC exhibited sharp increases in embossed depth over a critical range of temperature. The transition temperature in embossed depth increased linearly with norbornene content for both 35 and 70 µm deep structures. At temperatures above this transition, the dimensions of the embossed patterns were essentially independent of the COC grade, the applied pressure and duration of loading. Channels formed above the transition in a regime of viscous liquid flow were extremely smooth in morphology for all grades. The average surface roughness, Ra, measured at the base of the channels decreased sharply at the transition temperature, with a levelling off at higher temperatures. Grades of COC with a higher norbornene content exhibited extensive micro-cracking during embossing at temperatures close to the transition temperature

The copolymerisation of N-ethyl maleimide (NEM) with ethyl vinyl ether (EVE) in benzene (Bz) was investigated. The copolymerisation displays a tendency towards alternation but is not alternating and propagation involves the formation of a 1:1 NEM/EVE charge-transfer complex. This complex and the monomer/solvent complexes were investigated by 1H NMR spectroscopic methods. The equilibria were combined mathematically to model the NEM/EVE/Bz system. The copolymerisations of functionalized N-substituted maleimides, N-4-[6-(4'-methoxy-4-azobenzoxy) hexoxycarbonyl] phenylmaleimide (NMeAz6PM) and N-4-[6-(4'-nitro-4-azobenzoxy) hexoxycarbonyl] phenylmaleimide (NNitAz6PM), with styrene (St), 4-vinyl pyridine (4VP), or EVE as the comonomer were studied and the reactivity ratios calculated. The monomer pairs NMeAz6PM/St, NMeAz6PM/4VP and NNitAz6PM/St produce alternating copolymers but NMeAz6PM/EVE does not. The absence of liquid crystallinity in these materials was attributed to the rigidity of the polymer backbone coupled with the low mesogen content arising from the alternating backbone. Blends of amorphous maleimide based copolymers with 6-(4-methoxy-4'-azobenzoxy)hexanoic acid, 4.2, were investigated. The copolymers chosen were believed to be alternating and are the product of the copolymerisation of N-phenyl, N-(4-methoxy) phenyl, or N(4-hydroxy) phenyl maleimide with St or 4VP. 4.2 is essentially immiscible with the St based copolymers. However, 4.2 is miscible with the 4VP based copolymers and liquid crystallinity is induced. This behaviour is attributed to the formation of hydrogen bonds between 4.2 and the pyridyl units of the copolymer backbone. Blends of 4.2 or 6-(4-nitro-4'-azobenzoxy)hexanoic acid, 5.2, with copoly(NMeAz6PM-alt-St) or copoly(NMeAz6PM-alt-4VP) were investigated. The limited miscibility and liquid crystalline behaviour of the acid/styrene copolymer blends was attributed to interactions between the mesogens on the copolymer and the acid. However, the

The diblock copolymer PTPA-b-PS consisting of poly(4-butyltripheneylamine) (PTPA) and polystyrene was prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization followed by C–N coupling polymerization. Three types of block copolymers with different contents of polystyrene segment were prepared. The formation of block copolymer was confirmed by 1H NMR spectra and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) profiles. Time of flight (TOF) measurement revealed that the block copolymer showed higher hole mobility u...

This study examined how to control the self-assembly of block and graft copolymers during the aerosol process, which produces nanoparticles with phase-separated inner structure and phase dimensions ranging from 3 nm to 30 nm. The nanoparticles were also studied for the possibility of their use as a drug carriers. Block copolymers consist of two or more chemically different polymer blocks covalently bound together. In graft copolymers molecules are bound as side-chains to the copolymer backbon...

A robust drug delivery system based on nanosized amphiphilic star-hyperbranched block copolymer, namely, poly(methyl methacrylate-block-poly(hydroxylethyl methacrylate) (PMMA-b-PHEMA) is described. PMMA-b-PHEMA was prepared by sequential visible light induced self-condensing vinyl polymerization (SCVP) and conventional vinyl polymerization. All of the synthesis and characterization details of the conjugates are reported. To accomplish tumor cell targeting property, initially cell-targeting (arginylglycylaspactic acid; RGD) and penetrating peptides (Cys-TAT) were binding to each other via the well-known EDC/NHS chemistry. Then, the resulting peptide was further incorporated to the surface of the amphiphilic hyperbranched copolymer via a coupling reaction between the thiol (-SH) group of the peptide and the hydroxyl group of copolymer by using N-(p-maleinimidophenyl) isocyanate as a heterolinker. The drug release property and targeting effect of the anticancer drug (doxorobucin; DOX) loaded nanostructures to two different cell lines were evaluated in vitro. U87 and MCF-7 were chosen as integrin αvβ3 receptor positive and negative cells for the comparison of the targeting efficiency, respectively. The data showed that drug-loaded copolymers exhibited enhanced cell inhibition toward U87 cells in compared to MCF-7 cells because targeting increased the cytotoxicity of drug-loaded copolymers against integrin αvβ3 receptor expressing tumor cells. PMID:25816726

Highlights: • The isoconversional method was used to describe the curing kinetics parameters of the modified systems. • The mechanical and thermal properties of the copolymers were found to be a higher than that of BOZ/BMI system. • The moisture absorption of the blends was found to be lower than that of the BOZ/BMI system. - Abstract: In this paper, we reported the dicyanate/benzoxazine/bismaleimide copolymers using bisphenol A dicyanate (BADCy), 4,4′-bismaleimidodiphenyl methane (BMI) and bisphenol A benzoxazine (BOZ). BOZ/BMI was copolymerized with BADCy to improve toughness and processability. The non-isothermal curing kinetics of BADCy/BOZ/BMI copolymer was studied by the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) at various heating rates, and the isoconversional method was used to describe the apparent activation energy of the modified system. The properties of BADCy/BOZ/BMI copolymers, such as mechanical properties, thermal properties and moisture absorption, were systemically investigated in detail by mechanical measurement, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA). The results showed that the addition of the appropriate amount of BADCy could improve the impact strength and the flexural strength of the BADCy/BOZ/BMI copolymer, which could form an interpenetrating polymer network in the system. The thermal stability of the blends was found to be higher than that of the BOZ/BMI system, and the moisture absorption of the blends was found to be lower than that of the BOZ/BMI system

Connecting structure and morphology to bulk transport properties, such as ionic conductivity, in nanostructured polymer electrolyte materials is a difficult proposition because of the challenge to precisely and accurately control order and the orientation of the ionic domains in such polymeric films. In this work, poly(styrene-block-2-vinylpyridine) (PSbP2VP) block copolymers were assembled perpendicularly to a substrate surface over large areas through chemical surface modification at the substrate and utilizing a versatile solvent vapor annealing (SVA) technique. After block copolymer assembly, a novel chemical vapor infiltration reaction (CVIR) technique selectively converted the 2-vinylpyridine block to 2-vinyl n-methylpyridinium (NMP+ X-) groups, which are anion charge carriers. The prepared block copolymer electrolytes maintained their orientation and ordered nanostructure upon the selective introduction of ion moieties into the P2VP block and post ion-exchange to other counterion forms (X- = chloride, hydroxide, etc.). The prepared block copolymer electrolyte films demonstrated high chloride ion conductivities, 45 mS cm(-1) at 20 degrees C in deionized water, the highest chloride ion conductivity for anion conducting polymer electrolyte films. Additionally, straight-line lamellae of block copolymer electrolytes were realized using chemoepitaxy and density multiplication. The devised scheme allowed for precise and accurate control of orientation of ionic domains in nanostructured polymer electrolyte films and enables a platform for future studies that examines the relationship between polymer electrolyte structure and ion transport.

The reversible micellization and sol-gel transition of block copolymer solutions in an ionic liquid (IL) triggered by a photostimulus is described. The ABA triblock copolymer employed, denoted P(AzoMA-r-NIPAm)-b-PEO-b-P(AzoMA-r-NIPAm)), has a B block composed of an IL-soluble poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO). The A block consists of a random copolymer including thermosensitive N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAm) units and a methacrylate with an azobenzene chromophore in the side chain (AzoMA). A phototriggered reversible unimer-to-micelle transition of a dilute ABA triblock copolymer (1 wt%) was observed in an IL, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([C4mim]PF6), at an intermediate "bistable" temperature (50 °C). The system underwent a reversible sol-gel transition cycle at the bistable temperature (53 °C), with reversible association/fragmentation of the polymer network resulting from the phototriggered self-assembly of the ABA triblock copolymer (20 wt%) in [C4 mim]PF6. PMID:25613353

Full Text Available The acrylate monomer, 7-acryloyloxy-4-methyl coumarin (AMC has been synthesized by reacting 7-hydroxy-4-methyl coumarin, with acryloyl chloride in the presence of NaOH at 0–5°C. Copolymers of 7-acryloyloxy-4-methyl coumarin (AMC with vinyl acetate (VAc were synthesized in DMF (dimethyl formamide solution at 70±1°C using 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN as an initiator with different monomer-to-monomer ratios in the feed. The copolymers were characterized by Fourier transform infra red (FTIR spectroscopy. The copolymer composition was evaluated by 1H-NMR (proton nuclear magnetic resonance and was further used to determine reactivity ratios. The monomer reactivity ratios for AMC (M1-VAc (M2 pair were determined by the application of conventional linearization methods such as Fineman-Ross (r1 = 0.6924; r2 = 0.6431, Kelen-Tüdõs (r1 = 0.6776; r2 = 0.6374 and extended Kelen-Tüdõs (r1 = 0.6657; r2 = 0.6256. Thermo gravimetric analysis showed that thermal decomposition of the copolymers occurred in single stage in the temperature range of 263–458°C. The molecular weights of the polymers were determined using gel permeation chromatography. The homo and copolymers were tested for their antimicrobial properties against selected microorganisms.

The lateral and vertical components of the radius of gyration for a single block copolymer chain and those of a single homopolymer chain in the lamellar microdomain space formed by a mixture of diblock copolymers and homopolymers were investigated by means of small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and the microdomain structures by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The homopolymers whose molecular weights are much smaller than that of the corresponding chains of the block copolymers were used so that the homopolymers were uniformly solubilized in the corresponding microdomains. The SANS result suggests that the homopolymer chains in the microdomain space as well as the block copolymer chains are more compressed in the direction parallel to the interface and more stretched in the direction perpendicular to the interface than the corresponding unperturbed polymer chains with the same molecular weight. On increasing the volume fraction of the homopolymers the thickness of the lamellar microdomains increases. The block copolymer chains were found to undergo an isochoric affine deformation on addition of the homopolymers or with the change of the thickness of the lamellar microdomains. (orig.)

Block copolymer self-assembly and non-solvent induced phase separation are now being combined to fabricate membranes with narrow pore size distribution and high porosity. The method has the potential to be used with a broad range of tailor-made block copolymers to control functionality and selectivity for specific separations. However, the extension of this process to any new copolymer is challenging and time consuming, due to the complex interplay of influencing parameters, such as solvent composition, polymer molecular weights, casting solution concentration, and evaporation time. We propose here an effective method for designing new block copolymer membranes. The method consists of predetermining a trend line for the preparation of isoporous membranes, obtained by computing solvent properties, interactions and copolymer block sizes for a set of successful systems and using it as a guide to select the preparation conditions for new membranes. We applied the method to membranes based on poly(styrene-b-ethylene oxide) diblocks and extended it to newly synthesized poly(styrene-b-2-vinyl pyridine-b-ethylene oxide) (PS-b-P2VP-b-PEO) terpolymers. The trend line method can be generally applied to other new systems and is expected to dramatically shorten the path of isoporous membrane manufacture. The PS-b-P2VP-b-PEO membrane formation was investigated by in situ Grazing Incident Small Angle X-ray Scattering (GISAXS), which revealed a hexagonal micelle order with domain spacing clearly correlated to the membrane interpore distances.

The phase behavior of poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide-poly(ethylene oxide) PEO-PPO-PEO triblock copolymer [P85 (EO26PO39EO26)] in presence of anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) in aqueous solution as a function of temperature has been studied using dynamic light scattering (DLS) and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). The measurements have been carried out for fixed concentrations (1 wt%) of block copolymer and surfactants. Each of the individual components (block copolymer and surfactant) and the nanoparticle-surfactant mixed system have been examined at varying temperature. The block copolymer P85 forms spherical micelles at room temperature whereas shows sphere-to-rod like micelle transition at higher temperatures. On the other hand, SDS surfactant forms ellipsoidal micelles over a wide temperature range. Interestingly, it is found that phase behavior of mixed micellar system (P85 + SDS) as a function of temperature is drastically different from that of P85, giving the control over the temperature-dependent phase behavior of block copolymers.

The dynamics of lower disorder-order temperature diblock copolymer leading to phase separation has been observed by X ray photon correlation spectroscopy. Two different modes have been characterized. A non-diffusive mode appears at temperatures below the disorder to order transition, which can be associated to compositional fluctuations, that becomes slower as the interaction parameter increases, in a similar way to the one observed for diblock copolymers exhibiting phase separation upon cooling. At temperatures above the disorder to order transition T{sub ODT}, the dynamics becomes diffusive, indicating that after phase separation in Lower Disorder-Order Transition (LDOT) diblock copolymers, the diffusion of chain segments across the interface is the governing dynamics. As the segregation is stronger, the diffusive process becomes slower. Both observed modes have been predicted by the theory describing upper order-disorder transition systems, assuming incompressibility. However, the present results indicate that the existence of these two modes is more universal as they are present also in compressible diblock copolymers exhibiting a lower disorder-order transition. No such a theory describing the dynamics in LDOT block copolymers is available, and these experimental results may offer some hints to understanding the dynamics in these systems. The dynamics has also been studied in the ordered state, and for the present system, the non-diffusive mode disappears and only a diffusive mode is observed. This mode is related to the transport of segment in the interphase, due to the weak segregation on this system.

The ferroelectric of poly(vinylidene fluoride trifluoroethylene), P(VDF–TrFE) is confirmed for 100 nm thickness spin coated copolymer film. The homogeneous coverage of the copolymer film is investigated by the help of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Most importantly, the existing bandgap in the crystalline phase of the copolymer is determined directly from the electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS).

The structural analysis of two PP/PE copolymer samples, I and 2, was conducted by using 13C-NMR, GPC and crystallization segregation DSC (CSDSC) techniques. A pure polypropylene sample was also used for comparison. It was found that the two copolymer samples are very close in composition (the ethylene mol content is 4.3% and 4.5%,respectively), stereoregularity (96% and 97%) and molecular weight (Mw, = 7.0 x 104 and 7.3x104; Mw/Mn = 5.0 and 6.1,respectively). While the CSDSC thermograms of the two samples are quite different from each other. Sample 1 shows a higher average melting temperature and a broader distribution of its thermogram. These phenomena were explained as an indication of a less uniform distribution of ethylene units along the PP chains for sample 1. It was noted that CSDSC is a very sensitive and convenient technique for structural studies of copolymers.

Stimuli-responsive copolymers demonstrate diverse aggregation behavior in aqueous solution, where the molecular architecture and hydrophilic/hydrophobic content influences morphology. The solution morphology of poly(lysine)-b-poly(propylene oxide)-b-poly(lysine) (KPK) triblock copolymers with high lysine content (> 75 wt.%) will be compared with complementary KP diblock copolymers in the same phase range. Light scattering and TEM were used to determine aggregate size and morphology as a function of pH and temperature; furthermore, circular dichroism was used to measure helix-to-coil transitions of the K blocks. PK diblocks in this composition range yield spherical micelles over the entire pH range whereas KPK systems appear to exhibit morphological transitions with changing pH.

To study the absorption performance of Konjac-AA copolymer prepared by using irradiation, the water absorption capacity, sorbent speed and water keeping ability were determined, DSC and TEM analysis were used to investigate the water content and structure characters. The results showed that the largest water absorption speed was 16 g ·-1 · min-1 at room temperature, and the largest water absorption was 400 times within 60 minutes. The water absorption was affected by granularity, temperature, ion content and ion type, especially the ion type. The water keeping ability was affected by temperature and time, which was up to 35% of absorbed water when the fully water absorbed copolymer was kept under room temperature for 15 d. The free and bounder water content which could be assimilated by the plants was 99.617%. The water stale copolymer has a three-dimensional spiral structure. (authors)

The surface of the cellulosic fabrics was modified using self-prepared emulsions of polyurethane acrylate copolymers (PUACs). PUACs were prepared by varying the molecular weight of polycaprolactone diol (PCL). The PCL was reacted with isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) and chain was extended with 2-hydroxy ethyl acrylate (HEA) to form vinyl terminated polyurethane (VTPU) preploymer. The VTPU was further co-polymerized through free radical polymerization with butyl acrylate in different proportions. The FT-IR spectra of monomers, prepolymers and copolymers assured the formation of proposed PUACs structure. The various concentrations of prepared PUACs were applied onto the different fabric samples using dip-padding techniques. The results revealed that the application of polyurethane butyl acrylate copolymer showed a pronounced effect on the tear strength and pilling resistance of the treated fabrics. PMID:24661889

Polylactide (PLA), a biodegradable polyester derived from plant sugars, is commercially available and used in a variety of applications ranging from serviceware to resorbable sutures. One limitation to diversifying the applications of the material is its inherent brittleness. Graft copolymers containing PLA arms and a rubbery aliphatic polymer backbone were synthesized by a combination of ring-opening metathesis and ring-opening transesterification polymerizations. The high degree of incompatibility between the arms and backbone resulted in microphase separation of the graft copolymer at increasingly low fractions of the backbone polymer, as evidenced by small-angle x-ray scattering. In graft copolymers with a rubbery content of only 5 wt percent, the tensile strain at break was observed to be as high as twenty times that of neat PLA. Studies are underway to provide insight into the critical polymer molecular parameters for enhanced toughness and the deformation mechanisms.

We manufactured the first time block copolymer dual-layer hollow fiber membranes and dual layer flat sheet membranes manufactured by double solution casting and phase inversion in water. The support porous layer was based on polystyrene and the selective layer with isopores was formed by micelle assembly of polystyrene-. b-poly-4-vinyl pyridine. The dual layers had an excellent interfacial adhesion and pore interconnectivity. The dual membranes showed pH response behavior like single layer block copolymer membranes with a low flux for pH values less than 3, a fast increase between pH4 and pH6 and a constant high flux level for pH values above 7. The dry/wet spinning process was optimized to produce dual layer hollow fiber membranes with polystyrene internal support layer and a shell block copolymer selective layer.

Full Text Available Biocompatible polymers and copolymers are frequently being used as part of controlled delivery systems. These systems can be prepared using a "clean and environment friendly" technology like supercritical fluids. One great advantage of this process is that compressed carbon dioxide has excellent plasticizing properties and can swell most biocompatible polymeric matrixes, thus promoting drug impregnation processes. Mass sorption of two acrylate biocompatible copolymers contact with supercritical carbon dioxide is reported. Equilibrium solubility of dense carbon dioxide in poly(methylmethacrylate-co-ethylhexylacrylate and poly(methylmethacrylate-co-ethylhexylacrylate-co-ethyleneglycoldimethacrylate was studied by a static method at 10.0 MPa and 313 K. The reticulated copolymer had Fickean behavior and its diffusion coefficient was calculated, under operating conditions.

Ion-conducting polymers are important for solid-state batteries due to the promise of better safety and the potential to produce higher energy density batteries. Nanostructured block copolymer electrolytes can provide high ionic conductivity and mechanical strength through microphase separation. One of the potential use of block copolymer electrolytes is in lithium-sulfur batteries, a system that has high theoretical energy density wherein the reduction of sulfur leads to the formation of lithium polysulfide intermediates. In this study we investigate the effect of block copolymer morphology on the speciation and transport properties of the polysulfides. The morphology and conductivities of polystyrene-b-poly(ethylene oxide) (SEO) containing lithium polysulfides were studies using small-angle X-ray scattering and ac impedance spectroscopy. UV-vis spectroscopy is being used to determine nature of the polysulfide species in poly(ethylene oxide) and SEO. Department of Energy, Soft Matter Electron Microscopy Program and Battery Materials Research Program.

Full Text Available Block copolymers of the poly-(hexanlactam-co-block-poly-(?-valerolactone from ABA-type were synthesized via anionic polymerization of hexanlactam (HL with the sodium salt of hexanlactam (Na-HL as an initiator and polymeric activator (PAC. PAC, on the base of poly-?-valerolactone (PVL, was used as a soft central block. Synthetic PVL is very attractive biomaterial - nontoxic, biocompatibility and biodegradable polyester[5-8]. Modification of HL with PVL, renders these system biodegradable[1]. Isolated copolymers were characterized by various spectroscopic techniques. The effect of the chemical and physical structure of the synthesized block copolymers on the biodegradation was investigated. Biodegradation of block copolyester amides was studied by means of lipase and involves the enzymatic hydrolysis of ester groups in PVL.

Copolymers of N-vinylformamide (NVF) cross-linked with three multifunctional monomers, including divinylbenzene (DVB), ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA), and N,N‧-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) were synthetized by a three-dimensional free radical polymerization in inverse suspension using 2,2‧-azobis(2-methylpropionamide) dihydrochloride (AIBA) as an initiator. Methyl silicon oil was used as the continuous phase during the polymerization processes. Fourier-transform adsorption infrared (FT-IR) spectra revealed the presence of silicone oil traces and suggested that silicone oil strongly interacted with the copolymers surface. Purification procedure allowed to completely remove the silicon oil traces from P(NVF-co-DVB) only. The morphology and the structure of the investigated copolymers were examined by optical microscopy, FT-IR, and FT-Raman (Fourier-transform Raman spectroscopy) methods.

Full Text Available The possibility of modifying polyethylene and many other polymers with high energy radiation has led to many useful applications. Due to their new combination of properties and the shortage of experimental data, the radiolysis of a new class of materials, cyclo-olefin copolymers (COC, polymerised from norbornene and ethylene using metallocene catalysts, is of great interest to the study of radiation chemistry and the physics of polymeric systems. Ethylenenorbornene copolymer, pristine and containing an antioxidant were subjected to gamma irradiation in the presence of air and in water. The irradiated copolymer was studied using IR and UV-vis spectrophotometric analysis. The radiation-induced changes in the molecular structure were correlated to changes in the glass transition temperature measured by the DSC method.

This paper reports on the fabrication of a pSi-based drug delivery system, functionalized with an initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) polymer film, for the sustainable and temperature-dependent delivery of drugs. The devices were prepared by loading biodegradable porous silicon (pSi) with a fluorescent anticancer drug camptothecin (CPT) and coating the surface with temperature-responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-diethylene glycol divinyl ether) (pNIPAM-co-DEGDVE) or non-stimulus-responsive poly(aminostyrene) (pAS) via iCVD. CPT released from the uncoated oxidized pSi control with a burst release fashion (∼21 nmol/(cm(2) h)), and this was almost identical at temperatures both above (37 °C) and below (25 °C) the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of the switchable polymer used, pNIPAM-co-DEGDVE (28.5 °C). In comparison, the burst release rate from the pSi-pNIPAM-co-DEGDVE sample was substantially slower at 6.12 and 9.19 nmol/(cm(2) h) at 25 and 37 °C, respectively. The final amount of CPT released over 16 h was 10% higher at 37 °C compared to 25 °C for pSi coated with pNIPAM-co-DEGDVE (46.29% vs 35.67%), indicating that this material can be used to deliver drugs on-demand at elevated temperatures. pSi coated with pAS also displayed sustainable drug delivery profiles, but these were independent of the release temperature. These data show that sustainable and temperature-responsive delivery systems can be produced by functionalization of pSi with iCVD polymer films. Benefits of the iCVD approach include the application of the iCVD coating after drug loading without causing degradation of the drug commonly caused by exposure to factors such as solvents or high temperatures. Importantly, the iCVD process is applicable to a wide array of surfaces as the process is independent of the surface chemistry and pore size of the nanoporous matrix being coated. PMID:26654169

Highlights: • PMTFPS–b-polyacrylate copolymers in five different compositions were synthesized. • Enrichment of PMTFPS amounts at the surface made high F/Si value. • Icing delay time was related to the surface roughness. • Ice shear strength was decreased by the synergistic effect of silicone and fluorine. - Abstract: Five polymethyltrifluoropropylsiloxane (PMTFPS)–polyacrylate block copolymers (PMTFPS–b-polyacrylate) were synthesized by free radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate, n-butyl acrylate and hydroxyethyl methacrylate using PMTFPS macroazoinitiator (PMTFPS-MAI) in range of 10–50 mass percentages. The morphology, surface chemical composition and wettability of the prepared copolymer films were investigated by transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and water contact angle measurement. Delayed icing time and ice shear strength of the films were also detected for the icephobic purpose. The surface morphologies of the copolymers were different from those of the bulk because of the migration of the PMTFPS segments to the air interface during the film formation. Maximal delayed icing time (186 s at −15 °C) and reduction of the ice shear strength (301 ± 10 kPa) which was significantly lower than that of polyacrylates (804 ± 37 kPa) were achieved when the content of PMTFPS-MAI was 20 wt%. The icephobicity of the copolymers was attributed primarily to the enrichment of PMTFPS on the film surface and synergistic effect of both silicone and fluorine. Thus, the results show that the PMTFPS–b-polyacrylate copolymer can be used as icephobic coating materials potentially.

Block copolymer melts and solutions assemble into nanosized objects that order into a variety of phases, depending on molecular parameters and mutual interactions. Beyond the classical phases of lamella ordered sheets, hexagonally ordered cylinders and cubic ordered spheres, the complex bicontinuous gyroid phase and the modulated lamellar phase are observed near the phase boundaries. The stability of these phases has been discussed on the basis of theoretical calculations. Here, we will discuss new experimental results showing that the given ordered phase depends critically on both molecular purity and mechanical treatment of the sample. While a variety of block copolymer micellar systems have been shown to undergo the liquid-to-bcc-to-fcc phase sequence upon varying micellar parameters (or temperature), we find for a purified system a different sequence, namely liquid-to-fcc-to-bcc [1]. The latter sequence is by the way the one predicted for pure block copolymer melts. External fields like shear or stress may also affect the ordered phase. Applying well-controlled large-amplitude oscillatory shear can be used to effectively control the texture of soft materials in the ordered states. As an example, we present results on a body-centred-cubic phase of a block copolymer system, showing how a given texture can be controlled with the application of specific shear rate and shear amplitude [2,3]. Shear may however also affect the thermodynamic ground state, causing shear-induced ordering and disordering (melting), and shear-induced order–order transitions. We will present data showing that the gyroid state of diblock copolymer melts is unstable when exposed to large amplitude/frequency shear, transforming into the hexagonal cylinder phase [4]. The transformation is completely reversible. With the rather slow kinetics in the transformation of copolymer systems, it is possible in detail to follow the complex transformation process, where we find transient ordered

In this work, we use coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations to study spherical nanoparticles functionalized with AB diblock copolymer chains at low grafting density, to obtain a design library linking copolymer composition, monomer-monomer interaction strengths, graft lengths, particle sizes, and monomer solvent-philicity to the two stages of nanoparticle assembly: the initial formation of patches within the copolymer-grafted particles from attractive monomers aggregating, and then the (equilibrium) assembled cluster formation. With regards to patch formation, as the fraction of the solvent-phobic (A or B) block decreases along the graft and the interaction strength decreases, the propensity to form patches on the particles decreases. As the fraction of the solvent-phobic block increases, the time for patch formation decreases, in particular if the inner A block is solvent-phobic. As the ratio of graft length to particle size increases the propensity to form fewer patches increases due to inter-graft monomer aggregation. For all compositions, the assembled clusters formed in B-selective solvents (solvent-phobic A block) have a higher fraction of particles at smaller inter-particle distances than in A-selective solvents (solvent-phobic B block). In an A-selective solvent at low interaction strengths, as the graft length to particle diameter ratio is increased, the tendency to form isotropic clusters at equilibrium is increased, and intermediate anisotropic chain-like assembly is observed. When these anisotropic intermediate states are observed, they accelerate the formation of equilibrium isotropic clusters. With increasing strength of interaction between solvent-phobic B monomers, the intermediate states disappear from the assembly pathway. At low and intermediate interaction strengths, as fraction of A block increases, the clusters' outer shell of solvent-philic A monomers which surrounds the patch of solvent-phobic B monomers becomes dense, hindering

A phenomenological mean-field theory is used to investigate the properties of solvent-diluted di-block copolymers (BCP), in which the two BCP components (A and B) form a variety of phases that are diluted by a solvent (S). Using this approach, we model mixtures of di-block copolymers and a solvent and obtained the corresponding critical behavior. In the low solvent limit, we find how the critical point depends on the solvent density. Due to the non-linear nature of the coupling between the A/...

Full Text Available Organotin monomers containing dibutyltin groups – dibutyltin citraconate (DBTC as a new monomer and dibutyltin maleate (DBTM – were synthesized. Free radical copolymerizations of the organotin monomers with styrene (ST and butyl acrylate (BA were performed. The overall conversion was kept low (≤15% wt/wt for all studied samples and the copolymers composition was determined from tin analysis using the Gillman and Rosenberg method. The reactivity ratios were calculated from the copolymer composition using the Fineman-Ross (FR method. The synthesized monomers were characterized by elemental analysis, 1H-, 13C-NMR and FTIR spectroscopy.

Ellipsometry is used to measure the adsorption kinetics and adsorption isotherms of end-attaching copolymers. Diblock and triblock copolymers of poly(ethylene oxide)-b-polystyrene and adsorbed onto silicon dioxide from toluene; only the polar end blocks adsorb. At short times, the kinetics of adsorption follow Fickian behavior. The scaling behavior of the grafting density for the two different polymer architectures is examined. It is found that the diblock material scales as expected. The triblock material scales according to a mechanism which is dominated by the interaction of nonadsorbing blocks; this is true even for triblocks of moderate asymmetry.

Fully or partly fluorinated polymers have many desirable and intriguing properties. In the framework of a larger program on design and control of new functional block copolymers we recently employed the Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP) protocol on 2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorostyrene (FS). We...... materials based on 2,3,5,6-tetrafiuoro-4-methoxy-styrene (TFMS). TFMS homopolymers as well as diblock copolymers with FS are produced by ATRP. Both types of novel polymers were subsequently demethylated and different side chains introduced on the resulting hydroxy sites....

Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and some copolymers of acrylonitrile with divinylbenzene (AN-DVB) were investigated by the characterization of their thermal and radiation stabilities. The contribution of DVB to the thermal stability of PAN by the modification in the amount of unsaturated hydrocarbon between 6 and 20% was revealed by the evaluation of oxidation induction periods and required activation energies. The exposure of these materials to the action of γ-radiation points out the higher stability of copolymers (AN-DVB) in comparison to the relative stability of PAN

The present invention provides a membrane, kit, and method of making a hydrophilic-hydrophobic random copolymer membrane. The hydrophilic-hydrophobic random copolymer membrane includes a hydrophilic-hydrophobic random copolymer. The hydrophilic-hydrophobic random copolymer includes one or more hydrophilic monomers having a sulfonated polyarylsulfone monomer and a second monomer and one or more hydrophobic monomers having a non-sulfonated third monomer and a fourth monomer. The sulfonated polyarylsulfone monomer introduces a sulfonate into the hydrophilic-hydrophobic random copolymer prior to polymerization.

The synthesis and characterization of amphiphilic copolymers of poly(dimethyl siloxane)(PDMS),poly(ethylene oxide)(PEO), and heparin(Hep) were investigated. These multiblock copolymers were identified using 1H-NMR, FTIR, end group analysis, and sulfur elemental analysis. The multiblock copolymers were characterized by using DSC and X-ray diffractometry. The glass transition temperature,crystalline melting characteristics, annealing effect, and cold crystallization of the block copolymers were determined by DSC. The crystallinity of the block copolymers was also determined by X-ray diffraction method.

The ability to predict the in vivo performance of multiblock-copolymer-based biomaterials is crucial for their applicability in the biomedical field. In this work, XPS analysis of PCL-PEG copolymers was carried out, as well as morphological and wettability evaluations by SEM and CA measurements, respectively. XPS analysis on films equilibrated in PBS demonstrated a further enrichment in the PEG component on the surface. Copolymer films obtained by casting using different solvents showed a dependence in segregation according to the solvent employed. Cell adhesion tests demonstrated the importance of copolymer segregation and rearrangement in a wet environment, with a dependence of these phenomena on the copolymer molecular weight. PMID:19957286

This review focuses on the application of triblock copolymers as designed templates to synthesize nanoporous materials with various compositions. Asymmetric triblock copolymers have several advantages compared with symmetric triblock copolymers and diblock copolymers, because the presence of three distinct domains can provide more functional features to direct the resultant nanoporous materials. Here we clearly describe significant contributions of asymmetric triblock copolymers, especially polystyrene-block-poly(2-vinylpyridine)-block-poly(ethylene oxide) (abbreviated as PS-b-P2VP-b-PEO).

Polyurethane/polypeptide block copolymers were synthesized. Infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry revealed that in the block copolymers both segments undergo phase-mixing, while in polyurethane/polypeptide blend both components undergo phase-separation. Contact angle measurement showed that in the block copolymers polyurethane segments tended to appear on the membrane surface, whereas in polyurethane/polypeptide blend polypeptide components appeared on the membrane surface. In vitro nonthrombogenicity of the block copolymers was similar to that of homopolymers or polymer blends, though adhesion and deformation of platelets were suppressed on the block copolymer membranes. PMID:8260582

The observation of water temperature in deep wells has been carried out for more than 20 years in China. However, study on the mechanism of water temperatureresponse to earthquakes is inadequate. During the study of the co-seismic response characteristics of water level and temperature in 121 wells within the China subsurface fluid monitoring network at the time of the December 26, 2004, Ms8.7 Indonesia earthquake, we found regular response characteristics, that is, when the water level in a deep well oscillates, the water temperature in the same well will mostly experience a cycle from dropping to restoration at the same time. The process will continue for dozens of minutes to several hours. In order to confirm the observed phenomenon, we collected the digital water level and temperature observation data for 39 farfield strong earthquakes from the Tangshan well in Hebei Province (with the data set beginning in 2001). The same response characteristics were observed. Based on the analysis of the influencing factors that may cause the water temperature drop, the authors suggest the gas escape mechanism for co-seismic water temperature drop and posit two main factors that influence the water temperature drop during the process of gas escape. Finally, the authors provide a rational explanation of some observed phenomena based on the mechanism.

Insufficient research is available on flocculation of combined pollutants of heavy metals and antibiotics, which widely exist in livestock wastewaters. Aiming at solving difficulties in flocculation of this sort of combined pollution, a novel pH- and temperature-responsive biomass-based flocculant, carboxymethyl chitosan-graft-poly(N-isoproyl acrylamide-co-diallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride) (denoted as CND) with two responsive switches [lower critical solution temperature (LCST) and isoelectric point (IEP)], was designed and synthesized. Its flocculation performance at different temperatures and pHs was evaluated using copper(II) and tetracycline (TC) as model contaminants. CND exhibited high efficiency for coremoval of both contaminants, whereas two commercial flocculants (polyaluminum chloride and polyacrylamide) did not. Especially, flocculation performance of the dual-responsive flocculant under conditions of temperature>LCST and IEP(contaminants)

Full Text Available Properties of copolymers are generally influenced by the structure of the monomers and polymers. For the purpose of understanding the effect of polymer structure on the properties, two kinds of copolymers, poly(3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine-g-polylactide and poly(3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine-b-polylactide (PDOPA-g-PLA and PDOPA-b-PLA were designed and prepared by ring-opening polymerization of lactide with pre-prepared PDOPA as the initiator and the amidation of the functional PLA and PDOPA oligomer, respectively. The molecular weight and composition of the copolymers could be adjusted by changing the molar ratio of LA and DOPA and were confirmed by gel permeation chromatography (GPC and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR spectra. The obtained copolymers with graft and block structures showed high solubility even in common organic solvents. The effects of the graft and block structures on the thermal and degradation properties were also detected. The PDOPA-g-PLA copolymers showed higher thermal stability than the PDOPA-b-PLA copolymers, due to the PDOPA-g-PLA copolymers with regular structure and strong π-π stacking interactions among the intermolecular and intramolecular chains. In addition, the degradation results showed that the PDOPA-g-PLA copolymers and the copolymers with higher DOPA composition had quicker degradation speeds. Interestingly, both two kinds of copolymers, after degradation, became undissolved in the organic solvents because of the oxidation and crosslinking formation of the catechol groups in the DOPA units during degradation in alkaline solution. Moreover, fluorescent microscopy results showed good biocompatibility of the PDOPA-g-PLA and PDOPA-b-PLA copolymers. The PDOPA and PLA copolymers have the potential applications to the biomedical and industrial fields.

Lactide and trimethylene carbonate copolymers were successfully grafted with polyethylene glycol via previous functionalization with maleic anhydride and using N,N′-diisopropylcarbodiimide as condensing agent. Maleinization led to moderate polymer degradation. Specifically, the weight average molecular weight decreased from 36,200 to 30,200 g/mol for the copolymer having 20 mol% of trimethylene carbonate units. Copolymers were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetry and X-ray diffraction. Morphology of spherulites and lamellar crystals was evaluated with optical and atomic force microscopies, respectively. The studied copolymers were able to crystallize despite the randomness caused by the trimethylene carbonate units and the lateral groups. Contact angle measurements indicated that PEG grafted copolymers were more hydrophilic than parent copolymers. This feature justified that enzymatic degradation in lipase medium and proliferation of both epithelial-like and fibroblast-like cells were enhanced. Grafted copolymers were appropriate to prepare regular drug loaded microspheres by the oil-in-water emulsion method. Triclosan release from loaded microspheres was evaluated in two media. - Highlights: • Pegylated copolymers of lactide and trimethylene carbonate have been synthesized. • Grafting with polyethylene glycol was able via maleic anhydride functionalization. • Drug-loaded microspheres could be prepared from new pegylated copolymers. • Hydrophilicity of lactide/trimethylene carbonate copolymers increased by pegylation. • New pegylated copolymers supported cell adhesion and proliferation.

Lactide and trimethylene carbonate copolymers were successfully grafted with polyethylene glycol via previous functionalization with maleic anhydride and using N,N′-diisopropylcarbodiimide as condensing agent. Maleinization led to moderate polymer degradation. Specifically, the weight average molecular weight decreased from 36,200 to 30,200 g/mol for the copolymer having 20 mol% of trimethylene carbonate units. Copolymers were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetry and X-ray diffraction. Morphology of spherulites and lamellar crystals was evaluated with optical and atomic force microscopies, respectively. The studied copolymers were able to crystallize despite the randomness caused by the trimethylene carbonate units and the lateral groups. Contact angle measurements indicated that PEG grafted copolymers were more hydrophilic than parent copolymers. This feature justified that enzymatic degradation in lipase medium and proliferation of both epithelial-like and fibroblast-like cells were enhanced. Grafted copolymers were appropriate to prepare regular drug loaded microspheres by the oil-in-water emulsion method. Triclosan release from loaded microspheres was evaluated in two media. - Highlights: • Pegylated copolymers of lactide and trimethylene carbonate have been synthesized. • Grafting with polyethylene glycol was able via maleic anhydride functionalization. • Drug-loaded microspheres could be prepared from new pegylated copolymers. • Hydrophilicity of lactide/trimethylene carbonate copolymers increased by pegylation. • New pegylated copolymers supported cell adhesion and proliferation

Stimuli-responsive, vinyl dimethyl azlactone/vinyl pyrrolidone (VDMA/VP) copolymers have been prepared using free radical polymerization techniques. These copolymers are subsequently the basis for the design of polymer brushes where the system is composed of a polystyrene (PS) block and a VDMA/VP copolymer block. Copolymers have been prepared using reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization technique. Using a solvent that is selective for the VDMA/VP block, these PS-block-P[VDMA/VP] copolymers can be preferentially adsorbed at the solid-fluid interface through the PS block to form a polymer "brush". Because VDMA is known to quantitatively react with amines, exposure of the copolymer to a solution containing amino acids (e.g. glycine) yields a bio-functionalized polymer brush. In this paper we will report on the synthesis and characterization of VDMA/VP copolymers including compositional analysis using FTIR and NMR spectroscopies.

Alternating copolymers are expected to exhibit a rich transition behavior in selective solvents with implications in biology and the design of thermo and pH-sensitive materials. We studied transitions of model alternating copolymers of the type (AAA...)n1(BBB...)n2, in selective solvents by MC simulations. Results showed that the eminent factor, controlling response to external stimuli, is co-polymer's chemical composition.. We focused on the extreme case of a single polymer chain of N = 1000 units, distributed equally in alternate blocks of n1= n2 =100 units (A- and B- blocks). The solvent was quite selective, i.e. good for 5 100-A-blocks, whereas the 5 100 B-blocks were quite insoluble. An extended critical region, characterized by the presence of several distinct intermediate states between coil and globules, and by fluctuations strong enough to induce spontaneous transitions among these states was observed. Our findings underline that in the case of strong blockiness the alternating architecture induces collapse transitions that proceed through stages not existing in the analogous homopolymer and di-block copolymer transitions. GSRT-05-MAT-USA- 14; INTASDMR-0602877; NSF-DMR-0602877; INTAS 05-1000008-8020.

We review the literature on the localization transition for the class of polymers with random potentials that goes under the name of copolymers near selective interfaces. We outline the results, sketch some of the proofs and point out the open problems in the field. We also present in detail some alternative proofs that simplify what one can find in the literature.

We determine the statistical properties of block copolymer complexes in solution. These complexes are assumed to have the topological structure of (i) a tree or of (ii) a line-dressed tree. In case the structure is that of a tree, the system is shown to undergo a gelation transition at sufficiently

In this paper we consider a two-dimensional model of a copolymer consisting of a random concatenation of hydrophilic and hydrophobic monomers, immersed in a micro-emulsion of random droplets of oil and water. The copolymer interacts with the micro-emulsion through an interaction Hamiltonian that favors matches and disfavors mismatches between the monomers and the solvents, in such a way that the interaction with the oil is stronger than with the water. The configurations of the copolymers are directed self-avoiding paths in which only steps up, down and right are allowed. The configurations of the micro-emulsion are square blocks with oil and water arranged in percolation-type fashion. The only restriction imposed on the path is that in every column of blocks its vertical displacement on the block scale is bounded. The way in which the copolymer enters and exits successive columns of blocks is a directed self-avoiding path as well, but on the block scale. We refer to this path as the coarse-grained self-avoid...

There is considerable interest in the use of starch graft copolymers for applications as hydrogels, controlled release, and superabsorbents which involve contact with water. Typical production methods use batch processess at relatively low solids content, which produce large amounts of ungrafted ho...

The kinetics of micelle evolution of diblock copolymers from unimers toward the equilibrium state is studied analytically on the basis of consideration of the kinetic equations. The association/dissociation rate constants for unimer insertion/expulsion and micelle fusion/fission are calculated by ap

A copolymer of 2,5-di(thiophen-2-yl)-1-p-tolyl-1H-pyrrole (DTTP) with 3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene (EDOT) was electrochemically synthesized. The resultant copolymer P(DTTP-co-EDOT) was characterized via cyclic voltammetry, FTIR, SEM, conductivity measurements and spectroelectrochemistry. Copolymer film has distinct electrochromic properties. It has four different colors (chestnut, khaki, camouflage green, and blue). At the neutral state {lambda}{sub max} due to the {pi}-{pi}{sup *} transition was found to be 487 nm and E{sub g} was calculated as 1.65 eV. Double potential step chronoamperometry experiment shows that copolymer film has good stability, fast switching time (less than 1 s) and good optical contrast (20%). An electrochromic device based on P(DTTP-co-EDOT) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) was constructed and characterized. The device showed reddish brown color at -0.6 V when the P(DTTP-co-EDOT) layer was in its reduced state; whereas blue color at 2.0 V when PEDOT was in its reduced state and P(DTTP-co-EDOT) layer was in its oxidized state. At 0.2 V intermediate green state was observed. Maximum contrast (%{delta}T) and switching time of the device were measured as 18% and 1 s at 615 nm. ECD has good environmental and redox stability. (author)

Tailoring surface energies is the key factor to control the orientation of nanoscopic structures in thin block copolymer (BCP) films in view of the possible integration into next generation lithographic processes. In the general frame of the ``grafting to'' approach, this paper reports on the use of Rapid Thermal Processing (RTP) technology to perform flash grafting reactions of a hydroxyl terminated polystyrene- r-methylmethacrylate random copolymer to the activated silicon wafer surface. The perpendicular orientation of the cylinder morphology of an asymmetric PS- b-PMMA block copolymer is achieved when the thickness of the random copolymer layer is higher than 6.0 nm. The grafting time to achieve this thickness reduces from about 750 s, when the RTP grafting process is performed at 230 °C, to 15 s at 310 °C. In addition, TGA-GC-MS analysis indicates that the chain structural reorganization, which occurs during the RTP treatments, affords a more stable film structure without changing its surface characteristics. In this work we investigate the early stages and on the dynamic of the grafting processes on time scales and in temperature ranges that have never been explored before.

A novel fullerenestyrenemaleic anhydride copolymer is reported.TEM analyses shows it is water-soluble nanoball of average diameter of about 83nm.The tribological behavior is evaluated by fourball machine.It was found that addition of fullerene copolymer to base stock (2％triethanolamine aqueous solution)resulted in a raise in loadcarrying ability(F value)from 130 N to maximum 480 N,and a reduction in coefficient of friction from 0.235 to minimum 0.063.SEM analyses indicates that the wear scars obtained with fullerene copolymer exhibited mild scratches, while sharp grooving and serious pullout phenomnon were observed in the presence of base stock without additive .The improvements in friction,wear and loadcarrying capacity are probably due to the presence of fullerene copolymer nanoballs,which may act as molecule ball bearings,which in turn lead to elastic rolling lubrication.

Degradation of, and tissue reaction elicited by a series of polyethylene oxide (PEO)/polylactic acid (PLA) PELA block copolymers were studied in vitro and in vivo. In particular, the effect of pH, temperature and enzymatic activity was addressed. The mass loss was faster, the more basic the media, while, expectedly, PELA copolymers degraded faster with the higher temperature. The addition of an enzyme (carboxylic ester hydrolase) had no effect. The degradation process strongly affected the mechanical properties of the materials under investigation, the elongation at break dropping drastically after two days of degradation. After seven days, only gross observation of the extensively degraded samples was possible. The in vivo studies compared the tissue reaction elicited by various PELA copolymers to that evoked by PLA. Evaluation of tissue reaction observed with a PELA sample after sterilization with gamma radiation showed acute inflammation with considerable dispersion of the material, 12 days after implantation. The granulomatous reaction observed with PELA copolymers after ethylene oxide sterilization was identical to the reaction observed with PLA. PMID:3064826

We have used a dynamic density functional theory (DDFT) for polymeric systems, to simulate the formation of micro phases in a melt of an asymmetric block copolymer, A(n)B(m)(f(A) = 1/3), both in the bulk and in a thin film. In the DDFT model a polymer is represented as a chain of springs and beads.

We explore the morphology space of nanocomposites prepared from poly(isoprene-block-ethylene oxide) (PI-b-PEO) diblock copolymers as structure directing agents for aluminosilicate nanoparticles prepared from (3-glycidyloxypropyl)trimethoxysilane (GLYMO) and aluminum(III) sec-butoxide. The results of

A coordinated research program involving synthesis, characterization, and rheology has been undertaken to develop advanced polymer system which should be significantly more efficient than polymers presently used for mobility control and conformance. Unlike the relatively inefficient, traditional EOR polymers, these advanced polymer systems possess microstructural features responsive to temperature, electrolyte concentration, and shear conditions. Contents of this report include the following chapters. (1) First annual report responsive copolymers for enhanced oil recovery. (2) Copolymers of acrylamide and sodium 3-acrylamido-3-methylbutanoate. (3) Terpolymers of NaAMB, Am, and n-decylacrylamide. (4) Synthesis and characterization of electrolyte responsive terpolymers of acrylamide, N-(4-butyl)phenylacrylamide, and sodium acrylate, sodium-2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulphonate or sodium-3-acrylamido-3-methylbutanoate. (5) Synthesis and solution properties of associative acrylamido copolymers with pyrensulfonamide fluorescence labels. (6) Photophysical studies of the solution behavior of associative pyrenesulfonamide-labeled polyacrylamides. (7) Ampholytic copolymers of sodium 2-(acrylamido)-2-methylpropanesulfonate with [2-(acrylamido)-2-methypropyl]trimethylammonium chloride. (8) Ampholytic terpolymers of acrylamide with sodium 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulphoante and 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanetrimethyl-ammonium chloride and (9) Polymer solution extensional behavior in porous media.

Block copolymer self-assembly is an innovative technology capable of patterning technologically relevant substrates with nanoscale precision for a range of applications from integrated circuit fabrication to tissue interfacing, for example. In this article, we demonstrate a microwave-based method of rapidly inducing order in block copolymer structures. The technique involves the usage of a commercial microwave reactor to anneal block copolymer films in the presence of appropriate solvents, and we explore the effect of various parameters over the polymer assembly speed and defect density. The approach is applied to the commonly used poly(styrene)-b-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA) and poly(styrene)-b-poly(2-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P2VP) families of block copolymers, and it is found that the substrate resistivity, solvent environment, and anneal temperature all critically influence the self-assembly process. For selected systems, highly ordered patterns were achieved in less than 3 min. In addition, we establish the compatibility of the technique with directed assembly by graphoepitaxy. PMID:20964379

A report is presented on the inscription of a fibre Bragg grating into a microstructured polymer optical fibre fabricated from TOPAS cyclic olefin copolymer. This material offers two important advantages over poly (methyl methacrylate), which up to now has formed the basis for polymer fibre Bragg...

The phase behaviour of blends of chlorinated polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and chlorinated PVC with random copolymers of caprolactone and caprolactam has been investigated and the results correlated with a binary interaction model. The known miscibility of polycaprolactone in the chlorinate

Thermal composition fluctuations in homopolymer mer blends and diblock copolymers were studied with SANS in varying pressure and temperature fields. For homopolymers we find a quite consistent behavior: The dominating effect of compressibility or packing leads to a reduction of the entropic...

Segmented copolymers were synthesized from poly(tetramethylene oxide) with hydroxy end-groups or aliphatic diols and a short-chain diester diamide with a uniform length. The diester diamide (N,N'-bis(p-carbomethoxybenzoyl)butanediamine) (Tm = 257°C) used is made from butanediamine and an excess of d

Segmented poly(ether esteramide) copolymers with short (M = 382) partially aromatic esteramide units of uniform length and segments of poly(tetramethylene oxide) (PTMO) have beem synthesized in the melt. The polymers show phase separation into two or three phases. The influence of the PTMO segment l

Full Text Available (±-10-Methacryloyloxycamphorquinone (MCQ was synthesized from (±-10-camphorsulfonic acid either by a known seven-step synthetic route or by a novel, shorter five-step synthetic route. MCQ was copolymerized with styrene (S and the photochemical behavior of the copolymer MCQ/S was compared with that of a formerly studied copolymer of styrene with monomers containing the benzil (BZ moiety (another 1,2-dicarbonyl. Irradiation (λ > 380 nm of aerated films of styrene copolymers with monomers containing the BZ moiety leads to the insertion of two oxygen atoms between the carbonyl groups of BZ and to the formation of benzoyl peroxide (BP as pendant groups on the polymer backbone. An equivalent irradiation of MCQ/S led mainly to the insertion of only one oxygen atom between the carbonyl groups of camphorquinone (CQ and to the formation of camphoric anhydride (11 covalently bound to the polymer backbone. While the decomposition of pendant BP groups formed in irradiated films of styrene copolymers with pendant BZ groups leads to crosslinking, only small molecular-weight changes in irradiated MCQ/S were observed.

Semiconducting diblock copolymers of polyethylene (PE) and regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) are demonstrated to exhibit a rich phase behaviour, judicious use of which permitted us to fabricate field-effect transistors that show saturated charge carrier mobilities, mu(FET), as high as 2 x...

Complete text of publication follows. Grafting may be carried out pre-irradiating the substrate or irradiating the substrate in the presence of the monomers. Currently, a great variety of stimuli-responsive copolymers suitable for biomedical applications, including drug delivery, has been synthesized. In this work a polypropylene (PP) films was grafted with N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) and N-(3-aminopropyl) methacrylamide (APMA) in order to achieve pH- and temperatureresponsiveness. APMA has been used in medical devices owing to its hemocompatibility. The grafted film was obtained by oxidative pre-irradiation method in one step using a gamma source of 60Co. The optimal conditions as reaction time, monomers concentrations and doses were searched to get grafting percents suitable for subsequent studies in biomedical applications. The characterization of the graft polymer obtained was carried out with FTIRATR, TGA, DSC and water contact angle measurements. The degree of swelling was also evaluated to characterize the responsiveness of the grafted films to temperature and pH. NIPAAm exhibits a low critical solution temperature (LCST) close to 32 deg C, but when this monomer was copolymerized with other hydrophilic monomer, the LCST increased and transition range became wider. This work was supported by DGAPA-UNAM (Grant No. IN200208), Mexico, and by MICINN and FEDER (SAF2008-01679), and the Xunta de Galicia (PGIDT07CSA002203PR), Spain.

Although the temperatureresponse of soil respiration (Rs ) has been studied extensively, several issues remain unresolved, including hysteresis in the Rs -temperature relationship and differences in the long- vs. short-term Rs sensitivity to temperature. Progress on these issues will contribute to reduced uncertainties in carbon cycle modeling. We monitored soil CO2 efflux with an automated chamber system in a Pinus tabulaeformis plantation near Beijing throughout 2011. Soil temperature at 10-cm depth (Ts ) exerted a strong control over Rs , with the annual temperature sensitivity (Q10) and basal rate at 10°C (Rs10) being 2.76 and 1.40 µmol m(-2) s(-1), respectively. Both Rs and short-term (i.e., daily) estimates of Rs10 showed pronounced seasonal hysteresis with respect to Ts , with the efflux in the second half of the year being larger than that early in the season for a given temperature. The hysteresis may be associated with the confounding effects of microbial population dynamics and/or litter input. As a result, all of the applied regression models failed to yield unbiased estimates of Rs over the entire annual cycle. Lags between Rs and Ts were observed at the diel scale in the early and late growing season, but not in summer. The seasonality in these lags may be due to the use of a single Ts measurement depth, which failed to represent seasonal changes in the depth of CO2 production. Daily estimates of Q10 averaged 2.04, smaller than the value obtained from the seasonal relationship. In addition, daily Q10 decreased with increasing Ts , which may contribute feedback to the climate system under global warming scenarios. The use of a fixed, universal Q10 is considered adequate when modeling annual carbon budgets across large spatial extents. In contrast, a seasonally-varying, environmentally-controlled Q10 should be used when short-term accuracy is required. PMID:23469089

CO(2) transfer conductance from the intercellular airspaces of the leaf into the chloroplast, defined as mesophyll conductance (g(m)), is finite. Therefore, it will limit photosynthesis when CO(2) is not saturating, as in C3 leaves in the present atmosphere. Little is known about the processes that determine the magnitude of g(m). The process dominating g(m) is uncertain, though carbonic anhydrase, aquaporins, and the diffusivity of CO(2) in water have all been suggested. The response of g(m) to temperature (10 degrees C-40 degrees C) in mature leaves of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv W38) was determined using measurements of leaf carbon dioxide and water vapor exchange, coupled with modulated chlorophyll fluorescence. These measurements revealed a temperature coefficient (Q(10)) of approximately 2.2 for g(m), suggesting control by a protein-facilitated process because the Q(10) for diffusion of CO(2) in water is about 1.25. Further, g(m) values are maximal at 35 degrees C to 37.5 degrees C, again suggesting a protein-facilitated process, but with a lower energy of deactivation than Rubisco. Using the temperatureresponse of g(m) to calculate CO(2) at Rubisco, the kinetic parameters of Rubisco were calculated in vivo from 10 degrees C to 40 degrees C. Using these parameters, we determined the limitation imposed on photosynthesis by g(m). Despite an exponential rise with temperature, g(m) does not keep pace with increased capacity for CO(2) uptake at the site of Rubisco. The fraction of the total limitations to CO(2) uptake within the leaf attributable to g(m) rose from 0.10 at 10 degrees C to 0.22 at 40 degrees C. This shows that transfer of CO(2) from the intercellular air space to Rubisco is a very substantial limitation on photosynthesis, especially at high temperature. PMID:12481082

We calculated the temperatureresponse of the 171 Å passbands of the Sun Watcher using APS detectors and image Processing (SWAP) instrument onboard the PRoject for OnBoard Autonomy 2 (PROBA2) satellite. These results were compared to the temperatureresponses of the Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT) onboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), the Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE), the twin Extreme Ultraviolet Imagers (EUVI) onboard the Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) A and B spacecraft, and the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). Multiplying the wavelength-response functions for each instrument by a series of isothermal synthetic spectra and integrating over the range 165 - 195 Å produced temperature-response functions for the six instruments. Each temperatureresponse was then multiplied by sample differential emission-measure functions for four different solar conditions. For any given plasma condition ( e.g. quiet Sun, active region), it was found that the overall variation with temperature agreed remarkably well across the six instruments, although the wavelength responses for each instrument have some distinctly different features. Deviations were observed, however, when we compared the response of any one instrument to different solar conditions, particularly for the case of solar flares.

We fabricated a layer-by-layer (LbL) film of temperature-responsive homopolymers at neutral pH and studied its temperature-dependent solubility. We first measured the cloud point of mixed solutions of temperature-responsive polymers. The significant decrease of cloud point suggested that the intermolecular interaction between two polymer chains of different kinds was stronger than that between two polymer chains of the same kind. Strong intermolecular interaction between two polymer chains of different kinds is a prerequisite for LbL assembly. On the basis of the decrease of cloud point of mixed solutions of temperature-responsive homopolymers, we selected poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) (PVCL) and poly(2-hydroxypropyl acrylate) (PHPA) for LbL assembly. LbL films of the two polymers were fabricated at neutral pH at a constant temperature. When the film was immersed in purified water at a temperature lower than the assembly temperature, it can be partially dissolved with a diffusion-limited dissolution process. The temperature-responsive solubility of the LbL film is closely connected to the phase behavior of mixed solutions of the two polymers. Additionally, as compared to multilayer films of neutral polymers and poly(carboxylic acid)s, the PVCL/PHPA multilayer film is relatively stable when it was immersed in buffer solutions near physiological pH at the assembly temperature. Such LbL films with temperature-responsive solubility might be used as a dissolvable film or a smart capsule. PMID:22204705

To assess the influence of the surface microenvironment on the adsorption and biologic activity of fibrinogen, a series of poly(ethylene oxide)/poly(propylene oxide) triblock copolymers were adsorbed to solid, hydrophobic polystyrene-divinylbenzene beads. The copolymers, which were of the form PEOsb{b}PPOsb{a}PEOsb{b}, varied in their hydrophile/lipophile balances (HLB) due only to differences in their PEO chain length (5 to 129 EO units) as the hydrophobic PPO core segment was of fixed length (56 or 69 PO units). The surface coverage of copolymers was determined first and after exposing the beads to fibrinogen or to human plasma, the total amount of protein adsorbed to their surface was measured. The functionality of fibrinogen bound to copolymer-modified beads was assessed in terms of fibrin clot formation and by the adherence of macrophages (THP-1 tumor cells). Enzymatic processing was used to probe the surface orientation of fibrinogen. The copolymers appear to adsorb in an expanded fashion, a conclusion supported by surface pressure-area isotherms of the copolymers spread at the air-water interface. As compared to copolymer-free surfaces, protein adsorption decreases by up to 90% as the PEO chain length of the copolymers increases. The copolymer coatings appear to lower fibrinogen adsorption by limiting the available surface area. On surfaces coated with the hydrophobic versions of the copolymers, the biologic assays demonstrate that fibrinogen is as reactive/coagulable as for surfaces with saturated coverages of fibrin despite that these copolymer-coated surfaces have 60% less fibrinogen adsorbed to them. When adsorbed at the same low surface concentration in the absence of copolymer, fibrinogen is not active. Enzymatic processing of bound fibrinogen suggests that the presence of the copolymers promote the adsorption of the protein in end-on fashion. It is proposed here, that when adsorbed end-on, fibrinogen is functional because its reactive sites are

Agonist-induced decrease in core body temperature has commonly been used as a measure of serotonin1A (5-HT(1A)) receptor sensitivity in mood disorder. The thermoregulatory basis for 5-HT(1A) receptor agonist-induced temperatureresponses in humans and rats remains unclear. Therefore, the influence of ambient temperature on 5-HT(1A) receptor-mediated decreases in core body temperature were measured in rat lines bred for high (HDS) or low (LDS) sensitivity to the selective 5-HT(1A) receptor agonist 8-hydroxy-dipropylaminotetralin (8-OH-DPAT). HDS and LDS rats were injected with either saline, 0.25 or 0.50 mg/kg 8-OH-DPAT at ambient temperatures of 10.5, 24, 30, or 37.5 degrees C, and core temperature was measured by radiotelemetry. For both lines, the thermic response to acute 8-OH-DPAT was greatest at 10.5 degrees C and decreased in magnitude as ambient temperature increased to 30 degrees C, consistent with hypothermia. HDS rats displayed a greater hypothermic response than LDS rats at 10.5, 24, and 30 degrees C. At 37.5 degrees C, LDS rats showed a lethal elevation of temperature in response to 0.50 mg/kg 8-OH-DPAT. All thermic responses to 8-OH-DPAT, including the lethality, were effectively blocked by pretreatment with the 5-HT(1A) receptor antagonist WAY100635, suggesting line differences in thermoregulatory circuits that are influenced by 5-HT(1A) receptor activation. Following repeated injection of 8-OH-DPAT, the magnitude of the hypothermic response decreased in both lines at 10.5 degrees C, but increased in HDS rats treated with 0.50 mg/kg 8-OH-DPAT at 30 and 37.5 degrees C. This pattern was reversed in HDS rats following 8-OH-DPAT challenge at 24 degrees C, suggesting that a compensatory thermoregulatory response accounts for changes in the hypothermic response to chronic 8-OH-DPAT. PMID:12649391

We study binary blends of asymmetric diblock copolymers (AB/AC) in selective solvents with a mesoscale model. We investigate the morphological transitions induced by the concentration of the AC block copolymer and the difference in molecular weight between the AB and AC copolymers, when segments B and C exhibit hydrogen-bonding interactions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work modeling mixtures of block copolymers with large differences in molecular weight. The coassembly mechanism localizes the AC molecules at the interface of A and B domains and induces the swelling of the B-rich domains. The coil size of the large molecular weight block copolymer depends only on the concentration of the short block copolymer (AC or AB), regardless of the B–C interactions. However, the B–C interactions control the morphological transitions that occur in these blends.

Full Text Available In this study, novel amphiphilic fluorescent copolymers poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone-b-poly(N-methacryloyl-N'-(α-naphthylthiourea (PVP-b-PNT were synthesized via ATRP with poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone-Cl as macroinitiator and N-methacryloyl-N'-α-naphthylthiourea (NT as hydrophobic segment. PVP-b-PNT copolymers were characterized by 1H NMR, GPC-MALLS and fluorescence measurements. The aggregation behavior of PVP-b-PNT in water was investigated by transmission electron microscope (TEM and dynamic light scattering (DLS measurement. The photophysics behavior of PVP-b-PNT showed that block copolymer formed strong excimer. The interaction of DNA with the block copolymer made the excimer of block copolymer quench. The cytotoxicity result of PVP-b-PNT in cell culture in vitro indicated that this copolymer PVP-b-PNT had good biocompatibility.

The water absorption property and construction of konjac glucomannon, copolymer and regenerated copolymer demonstrated by Atomic Force Microscopy(AFM)was studied in this paper. Result showed that the copolymer was 887.8 times distilled water and the water absorption of konjac glucomannan was only 60 times. The biggest water absorption speed of distilled water was 64.7 g.g-1. min-1.The water reserving percent was 92% at room temperature after 24 h from fully water absorbing.The largest second tap water absorption was 366 times which was higher than the first. The AFM images indicated konjac grafts acrylic acid and hydrophilic sturcture comes into being. During the course of regeneration the dimensional sturcture of the copolymer was changed to more regularly.So the water absorption of copolymer was higher than konjac and regenerater's was higher than copolymer. (authors)

Cationic-hydrophobic copolymer and anionic-hydrophobic copolymer was covered onto surface of paper by radiation polymerization. The paper covered with ionic copolymer was used as carrier of immobilizing Trichoderma reesei cells. Results showed that the cells were immobilized firmly on the carriers and not dislocated from the carriers by shaking. All of FPA of the cells immobilized with the carriers covered with cationic copolymer were higher than that of un-immobilized free cells. The carriers covered with anionic copolymer showed good effect on immobilization of the cells. The weight of immobilized cells increase as increasing the component of DEAEMA in poly (DEAEMA-ATMPT) or decreasing the component of AA in poly (AA-ATMPT). It also increase with the increase of water absorption in poly (DEAEMA-ATMPT) or decrease of water absorption in poly (AA-ATMPT). It shows the static interaction play an important role in the immobilization of cells with ionic copolymer materials

In this work, a series of copolymers of polypropylene fumarate-co-polycaprolactone (PPF-co-PCL) were synthesized via a three-step polycondensation reaction of oligomeric polypropylene fumarate (PPF) with polycaprolactone (PCL). The effects of PPF precursor molecular weight, PCL precursor molecular weight, and PCL fraction in the copolymer (PCL feed ratio) on the maximum crosslinking temperature, gelation time, and mechanical properties of the crosslinked copolymers were investigated. The maxi...

Graphical abstract: Molecular designing of novel low band-gap polymers is a fundamental challenge for scientists across the world. The electronic properties of the copolymers though generally intermediate between those of its components, can be fine tuned by varying the amounts and arrangements of the components in the copolymer chains. Ant algorithm has been used in combination with the simple negative factor counting (NFC) method and the inverse iteration method (IIM) to optimize the properties of model ternary copolymers of Type-II staggered. Research highlights: → Molecular designing of copolymers with tailor made conduction properties. → Simulation of model ternary copolymers using ant algorithm, simple NFC and IIM. → Band gap of copolymer is closest to that of lowest band gap homopolymer. → Homopolymer having lowest IP has maximum percentage amount in optimized copolymer. - Abstract: Ant algorithm has been applied in combination with the simple negative factor counting (NFC) method and the inverse iteration method (IIM) to the designing of Type-II staggered model ternary copolymers. Two types of copolymers have been studied, one in which the band widths of the homopolymers were identical and their band-gaps were different and vice versa. On the basis of the optimized results obtained in both the cases it has been found that (i) the band-gap of the copolymer is closest to that of the lowest band-gap component and (ii) the component having the lowest ionization potential has the maximum amount in the optimum solution. Further, the optimized results are found to be nearly independent of the seed used. The density of states has also been investigated for all the copolymers. The results obtained are expected to be important guidelines for molecular designing of copolymers with tailor-made conduction properties.

Poly(phthalazinone ether nitrile) (PPEN) block copolymers containing polysiloxane were prepared so as to create a strongly hydrophobic polymer surface. The copolymers were synthesized from eugenol end-capped polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and fluoro-terminated PPEN oligomers by the aromatic nucleophilic substitution polycondensation in the presence of dimethyl sulfoxide/o-dichlorobenzene and K2CO3 as solvents and catalyst, respectively. The resultant copolymers were characterized by FTIR, 1H NMR...

The nanoscopic order of a series of block copolymer-inorganic nanocomposites was characterized using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The nanostructures were obtained via a diblock copolymer directed sol-gel synthesis. The copolymer consists of blocks of poly(isoprene) -PI- and blocks of poly(ethylene oxide) -PEO. The inorganic material consists of a crosslinked sol of 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane and aluminum-tri-sec-butoxide in a 4:1 mole ratio, to generate an aluminosilicate ceram...

Block copolymers containing polysilane blocks are unique in that the polysilane components possess electro-active properties and are readily photodegradable. This review will discuss and assess the two major approaches to the synthesis of polysilane block copolymers via pre-formed polymer chain coupling and living polymerisation techniques. The self-organisation of polysilane block copolymers and the morphologies adopted in thin films are reviewed. Amphiphilic polysilane-containing block copo...

The aim of the study described in this thesis was to examine the adsorption properties of polyelectrolytes and charged block copolymers on oxides, and the effect of these polymers on the colloidal stability of oxidic dispersions. For this purpose the interaction of some well-characterised polyelectrolytes and block copolymers with oxidic substrates has been systematically studied. A set of block copolymers with one charged block and one neutral water-soluble block had to be synthesised becaus...

High-aspect-ratio sub-15-nm silicon trenches are fabricated directly from plasma etching of a block copolymer mask. A novel method that combines a block copolymer reconstruction process and reactive ion etching is used to make the polymer mask. Silicon trenches are characterized by various methods and used as a master for subsequent imprinting of different materials. Silicon nanoholes are generated from a block copolymer with cylindrical microdomains oriented normal to the surface. PMID:22903820

Introduction. Block copolymers self-assembling properties are commonly used for creation of very fine nanostructures [1]. Goal of our project is to test new methods of the block-copolymer lithography mask preparation: macroscopic pieces of block-copolymers or nanoporous polymers with cross-linked phase are sliced with microtome and pattern is transfered from flakes to substrate by plasma etching.Experimental Section. Group of Self-organized Nanoporous Materials in Technical University of Denm...

The development of a new catalyst system by The Dow Chemical Company has resulted in the production of isotactic polypropylene and propylene/ethylene copolymers with a unique defect and comonomer distribution. This work investigated the morphology and optical properties of cast and compression molded films made from the homopolymer and copolymers with up to 20 mol% ethylene comonomer. The defect distribution of the Dow Chemical copolymers resulted in materials with lower crystallinity than Zi...

Acetal, trityl, and TBDMS protecting groups on saccharides were subjected to alcoholysis using a catalytic amount of vanadyl triflate in an MeOH-CH2Cl2 solvent system. The configuration at the anomeric positions of saccharides was retained, and no glycosidic bond cleavage and oxidation of sulfides were observed. The presented method was easily implemented, compatible with diverse functional groups, and regioselective in some cases. PMID:17194117

A dual stimulus-responsive mPEG-SS-PLL(15)-glutaraldehyde star (mPEG-SS-PLL(15)-star) catiomer is developed and biologically evaluated. The catiomer system combines redox-sensitive removal of an external PEG shell with acid-induced escape from the endosomal compartment. The design rationale for PEG shell removal is to augment intracellular uptake of mPEG-SS-PLL(15)-star/DNA complexes in the presence of tumor-relevant glutathione (GSH) concentration, while the acid-induced dissociation is to accelerate the release of genetic payload following successful internalization into targeted cells. Size alterations of complexes in the presence of 10 mM GSH suggest stimulus-induced shedding of external PEG layers under redox conditions that intracellularly present in the tumor microenvironment. Dynamic laser light scattering experiments under endosomal pH conditions show rapid destabilization of mPEG-SS-PLL(15)-star/DNA complexes that is followed by facilitating efficient release of encapsulated DNA, as demonstrated by agarose gel electrophoresis. Biological efficacy assessment using pEGFP-C1 plasmid DNA encoding green fluorescence protein and pGL-3 plasmid DNA encoding luciferase as reporter genes indicate comparable transfection efficiency of 293T cells of the catiomer with a conventional polyethyleneimine (bPEI-25k)-based gene delivery system. These experimental results show that mPEG-SS-PLL(15)-star represents a promising design for future nonviral gene delivery applications with high DNA binding ability, low cytotoxicity, and high transfection efficiency. PMID:22443494

The effect of chain microstructure on various physical properties was studied in polyethylene and polypropylene copolymers. Adhesion of Ziegler-Natta (ZNPE) and metallocene (mPE) catalyzed ethylene-octene copolymers to polypropylene (PP) were studied by measuring the delamination toughness G of coextruded microlayers using the T-peel test. It was found that the heterogeneous ZNPE exhibited poor adhesion to polypropylene. It was proposed that the low molecular weight, highly branched ZNPE fractions migrate to the interface to form an amorphous layer. The homogeneous mPE with the same short chain branch content showed very high G. Blending ZNPE with an mPE increased G. Atomic force microscopy revealed that blending mPE into ZNPE reduced or eliminated the amorphous interfacial layer. It was hypothesized that mPE increased miscibility of low molecular weight, highly branched fractions of ZNPE and prevented their segregation at the interface. The solid state structure and properties of homogeneous propylene-octene copolymers were examined. Based on the combined observations from melting behavior, dynamic mechanical response, morphology with primarily atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and tensile deformation, a classification scheme with 4 distinct categories is proposed. The homopolymer with 60 wt% crystallinity constitutes Type IV. It is characterized by large alpha-positive spherulite. Copolymers with up to 5 mol% octene, with at least 35 wt% crystallinity, are classified as Type III. They crystallize as alpha-positive spherulites that are smaller than the homopolymer. Both Type IV and Type III materials exhibit thermoplastic behavior. Copolymers classified as Type II have between 5 and 10 mol% octene with crystallinity in the range of 20--35%. Type II materials have smaller impinging spherulites than Type III copolymers and they are negative. The materials in this category have plastomeric behavior. Type I copolymers have more than 10 mol% octene and less

Polystyrene-b-alkyl, polystyrene-b-polybutadiene-b-polystyrene, and polystyrene-b-poly(propylene glycol)monotridecyl ether were synthesized using macro initiators and atom transfer radical polymerization or by esterifications of homopolymers. The aim was a maximum molecular weight of 4 kg/mol and...... minimum polystyrene content of 50 w/w%, which by us is predicted as the limits for solubility of polystyrene-b-alkyl in polystyrene. DSC showed polystyrene was plasticized, as seen by a reduction in glass transition temperature, by block copolymers consisting of a polystyrene block with molecular weight...... of approximately 1 kg/mol and an alkyl block with a molecular weight of approximately of 0.3 kg/mol. The efficiency of the block copolymers as plasticizers increases with decreasing molecular weight and polystyrene content. In addition, polystyrene-b-alkyl is found to be an efficient plasticizer also...

To study the absorption performance of Konjac-AA copolymer prepared by irradiation, the water absorbent capacity, sorbent speed and water keeping ability was determined and DSC and TEM analysis were used to explore the water content and structure characters. The results showed that on room temperature the largest water absorption speed was 16 g · g-1 · min-1 at, and the largest water absorption was 400 times at 60 min. The water absorption was affected by granularity, temperature, ion content and ion type, especially the ion type, the water keeping ability was affected by temperature and time, which was up to 35% while the fully water absorbed copolymer was kept under room temperature for 15 d. The free and bounder water content which was assimilated by the plants was 99.617%. The gel stale co polymer has a three-dimensional structure of spiral, which was constituted by spherical objects of varying sizes. (authors)

Full Text Available Poly(vinylidene fluoride (PVDF was modified with a styrene-based copolymer. The crystalline behavior, phase, thermal stability, and surface morphology of the modified membranes were analyzed. The membrane surface roughness showed a strong dependence on the styrene-acrylonitrile content and was reduced to 34% for a PVDF/styrene-acrylonitrile blend membrane with a 40/60 ratio. The thermal and crystalline behavior confirmed the blend miscibility of both polymers. It was observed in X-ray diffraction (XRD experiments that the modified PVDF membranes show a drastic reduction in their crystallinity. The neat PVDF membrane has the highest degradation rate, which decreased with the addition of the styrene-based copolymer.

We have investigated the electrical and optical properties of poly((2,5-(dimethoxy) p-phenylene vinylene)- p-phenylene vinylene) (PDMeOPV/PPV) copolymer used as an emitting layer in light emitting diodes. With p-phenylene vinylene (PPV) used as a hole transport layer and polyphenylquinoxaline (PPQ) as an electron transport layer, the emission intensity of the devices has substantially increased without alteration of the transport property. The different conduction mechanisms in the diodes were examined and discussed in terms of the energy band diagrams of the polymer layers. A balance of the injected charge carriers confined in the copolymer could explain the enhancement of the performance of the multilayer diodes.

Styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer (SBS) membrane was prepared by solution casting method and then was epoxidized with peroxyformic acid generated in situ to yield the epoxidized styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer membrane (ESBS). The structure and properties of ESBS were characterized with infrared spectroscopy, Universal Testing Machine, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermogravimetry analysis (TGA). The performances of contact angle, water content, protein adsorption, and water vapor transmission rate on ESBS membrane were determined. After epoxidation, the hydrophilicity of the membrane increased. The water vapor transmission rate of ESBS membrane is similar to human skin. The biocompatibility of ESBS membrane was evaluated with the cell culture of fibroblasts on the membrane. It revealed that the cells not only remained viable but also proliferated on the surface of the various ESBS membranes and the population doubling time for fibroblast culture decreased.

Full Text Available Radical photopolymerization of (methacrylates in the presence of dissolved polyheteroarylenes has been investigated. The kinetics of radical polymerization of unsaturated monomers in the presence of polyheteroarylenes and model compounds has been studied by Differential Scanning Photocalorimetry and Infrared Spectroscopy. From the results of investigations into the kinetics and the polymer structures (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Size-exclusion Chromatography, Thermogravimetric analysis, it has been established that radical photopolymerization of vinyl monomers in the presence of polyheteroarylenes leads to the formation of copolymers owing to chain transfer reactions and/or chain termination by the relevant condensation polymer. Using Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy the novel radicals upon the addition of model compounds for the polyheteroarylenes have been detected, and a mechanism of copolymer formation has been proposed.

Despite the simple structure, poly(2-methoxyethyl acrylate) (PMEA) shows excellent blood compatibility [1]. Both the freezing-bound water (intermediate water: preventing the biocomponents from directly contacting the polymer surface) and non-freezing water on the polymer surface play important ro...... copolymers with MMA [4] utilizing ATRP. Here we present other block, graft and random copolymers of MEA intended for biomedical applications. These macromolecular architectures have been constructed by employing controlled radical polymerization methods such as RAFT and ATRP....... roles for this [2]. An artificial lung (oxygenator), already in use, is coated with high MW PMEA prepared by radical polymerization with AIBN [2]. To broaden the possibilities for designing biomedical devices [3] and inspired from these findings we first prepared homo polymers of MEA and their block...

Full Text Available Block copolymers are versatile designer macromolecules where a “bottom-up” approach can be used to create tailored materials with unique properties. These simple building blocks allow us to create actuators that convert energy from a variety of sources (such as chemical, electrical and heat into mechanical energy. In this review we will discuss the advantages and potential pitfalls of using block copolymers to create actuators, putting emphasis on the ways in which these materials can be synthesised and processed. Particular attention will be given to the theoretical background of microphase separation and how the phase diagram can be used during the design process of actuators. Different types of actuation will be discussed throughout.

Low esters of methacrylic acid which may be polymerized by different methods are used predominantly for producing soft hydrophilic contact lenses. Compounds of the vinyl-type often are added to improve the optical and mechanical qualities. Composition as well as possibilities of polymerization by irradiation were tested so long until copolymers were found which finally allowed the production of soft hydrophilic contact lenses. Swelling characteristics and permeability of the different elastomeres are to be investigated in order to guarantee sufficient compatibility of contact lenses. Contamination of the lens materials by microorganisms is also a point of special interest. The effects on the hydrophilic contact lens-copolymers by different substances used for cleaning and storage solutions have been investigated as well. (author)

This research has three parts. Two parts deal with novel nanoparticle assemblies for drug delivery, and are described in Part A, while the third part looks at properties of fish scales, an abundant and little-used waste resource, that can be modified to have value in medical and other areas. Part A describes fundamental research into the affects of block sequence of amphiphilic block copolymers prepared from on a new and versatile class of monomers, oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether acrylate (OEGA) and the more hydrophobic di(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (DEGMA). Polymers from these monomers are biologically safe and give polymers with thermoresponsive properties that can be manipulated over a broader temperature range than the more researched N-isopropylacrylamide polymers. Using RAFT polymerization and different Chain Transfer Agents (CTAs) amphiphilic block copolymers were prepared to study the effect of block sequence (hydrophilic OEGA and more hydrophobic DEGMA) on their thermo-responsive properties. Pairing hydrophilic chain ends to a hydrophobic DEGMA block and hydrophobic chain ends to hydrophilic blocks ("mis-matched polarity") significantly affected thermoresponsive properties for linear and star diblock copolymers, but little affected symmetric triblock copolymers. Specifically matching polarity in diblock copolymers yielded nanoparticles with higher cloud points (CP), narrow temperature ranges for coil collapse above CP, and smaller hydrodynamic diameter than mis-matched polarity. Using this knowledge two linear OEGA/DEGMA diblock copolymers were prepared with thiol end groups and assembled into hybrid nanoparticles with a gold nanoparticle core (GNP-polymer hybrids). This design was made using the hypothesis that a hybrid polymer drug carrier with a high CP (50-60 °C) and a diblock structure could be designed with low levels of drug release below 37 °C (body temperature) allowing the drug carrier to reach a target (tumor) site with

The rational formulation of Pickering double emulsions is described using a judicious combination of hydrophilic and hydrophobic block copolymer worms as highly anisotropic emulsifiers. More specifically, RAFT dispersion polymerization was utilized to prepare poly(lauryl methacrylate)–poly(benzyl methacrylate) worms at 20% w/w solids in n-dodecane and poly(glycerol monomethacrylate)–poly(2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate)–poly(benzyl methacrylate) worms at 13% w/w solids in water by polymerization...

We report a novel transient instability upon temperature quench in weakly ordered block copolymer microphases possessing a soft direction or directions, such as the lamellar and hexagonal cylinder (HEX) phases. We show that reequilibration of the order parameter is accompanied by transient long wavelength undulation of the layers or cylinders—with an initial wavelength that depends on the depth of the temperature quench—that eventually disappears as the structure reaches its equilibrium at th...

We present here an original process combining top-down and bottom-up approaches by annealing a thin gold film evaporated onto a hole template made by etching a PS-PMMA copolymer film. Such process allows a better control of the gold nanoparticle size distribution which provides a sharper localized surface plasmon resonance. This makes such route appealing for sensing applications since the figure of merit of the Au nanoparticles obtained after thermal evaporation is more than doubled. Such pr...

The structure of spherical micelles of the diblock poly(styrene-block-acrylic acid) [PS-b-PA] copolymer in water was investigated up to concentrations where the polyelectrolyte coronal layers have to shrink and/or interpenetrate in order to accommodate the micelles in the increasingly crowded volume. We obtained the partial structure factors pertaining to the core and corona density correlations with small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and contrast matching in the water. The counterion stru...

With the aim of creating tough nanocomposits (NC) [1] based on polypropylene (PP) and nanoclay (NCl) in the framework of the 7th EU program NANOTOUGH we have designed amphiphilic block copolymers utilizing Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP) [2]. They consist of a hydrophobic block of...... PP (by its crystallites) is replaced by alien-reinforcement (of the MMT). Furthermore, the results from the impact strength and cyclic test of the prepared PP nanocomposites [3] are promicing....

We investigate the nature of the phase diagram for a self-avoiding walk model of a random copolymer at an interface between two immiscible solvents, when one monomer prefers to be in one solvent, the other monomer prefers to be in the other solvent, and both types of monomer have an attractive or repulsive interaction with the interface. Our results are all rigorous, and extend previous work of Maritan et al (1999) and Martin et al (2000).

Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) was modified with a styrene-based copolymer. The crystalline behavior, phase, thermal stability, and surface morphology of the modified membranes were analyzed. The membrane surface roughness showed a strong dependence on the styrene-acrylonitrile content and was reduced to 34% for a PVDF/styrene-acrylonitrile blend membrane with a 40/60 ratio. The thermal and crystalline behavior confirmed the blend miscibility of both polymers. It was observed in X-ray diffr...

The effect of A-block polydispersity on the phase behavior of AB diblock copolymer melts is examined using a complete self-consistent field theory treatment that allows for fractionation of the parent molecular-weight distribution. In addition to observing the established shift in phase boundaries, we find the emergence of significant two-phase coexistence regions causing, for instance, the disappearance of the complex phase window. Furthermore, we find evidence that polydispersity relieves p...

A new catalyst system was used in the synthesis of polyethylene terephthalate(PET) and its copolymers, which involved a Ln3+ containing compound. The catalytic effects were studied, and it was found that the direct esterification reaction of terephthalate acid(TPA) with ethylene glycol(EG) can be accelerated by the addition of Ln3+ containing compound, which acts as a promoter of the catalyst Sb2O3 in polycondensation of bis hydroxyethyl terephthalate(BHET).

Ultrafine, uniform nanostructures with excellent functionalities can be formed by self-assembly of block copolymer (BCP) thin films. However, extension of their geometric variability is not straightforward due to their limited thin film morphologies. Here, we report that unusual and spontaneous positioning between host and guest BCP microdomains, even in the absence of H-bond linkages, can create hybridized morphologies that cannot be formed from a neat BCP. Our self-consistent field theory (...

Block copolymers of the poly-(hexanlactam)-co-block-poly-(?-valerolactone) from ABA-type were synthesized via anionic polymerization of hexanlactam (HL) with the sodium salt of hexanlactam (Na-HL) as an initiator and polymeric activator (PAC). PAC, on the base of poly-?-valerolactone (PVL), was used as a soft central block. Synthetic PVL is very attractive biomaterial - nontoxic, biocompatibility and biodegradable polyester[5-8]. Modification of HL with PVL, renders these system biodegradable...

Dimer acid (DA) was grafted onto lignin (EHL) to form a graft copolymer DA-g-EHL. The selection of the reaction type and the optimization of the reaction conditions for the grafting reaction were conducted through orthogonal and single factor experiments. FT-IR and thermal analysis were used to characterize the graft product. It was found that, compared with free radical grafting, DA can be grafted onto EHL more effectively by ester condensation with strongly acidic cation exchange resin as a...

Cationic amphiphilic diblock copolymers containing quaternized poly (2-vinylpyridine) chain as a hydrophilic segment (PIp-b-PNMe2VP) were synthesized by living anionic polymerization. By IR measurement, we confirmed the quaternization of the polymer (PIp-b-PNMe2VP), and determined the degree of quaternization by conductometric titration. The surface tension experiment showed that the polymers are non-surface active in nature. The foam formation of the polymer solutions was also investigated with or without added salt. Almost no foam formation behavior was observed without added salt, while a little foam was observed in the presence of 1M NaCl. The critical micelle concentration (cmc) of the diblock copolymers with 3 different chain lengths was measured by the static light scattering method. The cmc values obtained in this study were much lower than the values obtained for anionic non-surface active diblock polymers studied previously. The hydrodynamic radii of the polymer micelle increased slightly in the presence of 1 M NaCl. The transmission electron microscopic images revealed spherical micelles in pure water. In the presence of salt, the cmc values increased as was the case for anionic polymers, which is unlike conventional surfactant systems but consistent with non-surface active anionic block copolymers. The microviscosity of the micelle core was evaluated using Coumarin-153 as a fluorescent anisotropy probe using steady-sate fluorescence depolarization. Non-surface activity has been proved to be universal for ionic amphiphilic block copolymers both for anionic and cationic. Hence, the origin of non-surface activity is not the charged state of water surface itself, but should be an image charge repulsion at the air/water interface.

10(-2) cm(2)V(-1)s(-1) and ON-OFF ratios, I-on/I-off similar to 10(5) at contents of the insulating PE moiety as high as 90 wt %. In addition, the diblock copolymers display outstanding flexibility and toughness with elongations at break exceeding 600 % and true tensile strengths around 70 MPa......, opening the path towards robust and truly flexible electronic components....

This dissertation focuses on synthesis and characterization of graft and block copolymers containing carboxylate or phosphonate anions that are potential candidates for biomedical applications such as drug delivery and dental adhesives. Ammonium bisdiethylphosphonate (meth)acrylate and acrylamide phosphonate monomers were synthesized based on aza-Michael addition reactions. Free radical copolymerizations of these monomers with an acrylate-functional poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) macromonomer...

Synthesis and characterization of resorcinol-acetone copolymer is described. The polymer was prepared by trifluoroacetic acid-catalyzed polymerization of resorcinol with acetone. According to the 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, and MALDI-TOF Mass spectra data, the obtained polymer had three types of repeating units: isopropylidene bridged-resorcinol, chromane ring, and spiro-shaped double chromane ring, indicating that polymerization proceeded via simultaneous addition-condensation and cyclization of resorc...

Photochromic indolylfulgimides covalently attached to polymers have beneficial properties for optical switching. A 3-indolylfulgide and two 3-indolylfulgimides with one or two polymerizable styrene groups attached on the nitrogen atom(s) were synthesized. Copolymerization with methyl methacrylate (MMA) provided linear copolymers (one styrene group) or a cross-linked copolymer (two styrene groups). The properties of the monomers and copolymers in toluene or as thin films were characterized. The new copolymers were photochromic (reversible Z-to-C isomerization), absorbed visible light, and revealed good thermal and photochemical stability. At room temperature, all copolymer films showed no loss of absorbance after 5 weeks. At 80 °C in either toluene or as films, the Z-forms copolymers were less stable than the C-form copolymers, which showed little or no degradation after 400 h. The degradation rate due to repeated ring-closing – ring opening cycles was less than 3% per 100 cycles. The cross-linked copolymer showed photochemical stability comparable to monomeric fulgides in toluene, <1% per 100 cycles. In general, the properties of the linear and cross-linked copolymers were similar to the corresponding monomers in toluene. In films, the conformations of the Z-form were restricted due to the matrix indicating that the preparation of films from the C-form is advantageous. PMID:23935228

Full Text Available Poly(L-leucine-block-poly(ethylene glycol-block-poly(L-leucine triblock copolymers were synthesized by a ring-opening polymerization of α-amino acid N-carboxyanhydride with amino-terminated PEG as an initiator. The chloroform solution of these peptide copolymers showed a thermo-sensitive sol-gel transition. The transition temperature varied as a function of the length of peptide segments. Additionally, we used these peptide copolymers to remove an endocrine disruptor such as bisphenol A from its aqueous solution. As a result, it became clear that the peptide copolymer gel used in this study could capture bisphenol A efficiently.

In the present work, the structure and impact properties of copolymers of polypropylene with low ethylene contents have been investigated. Based on the results of 13C-NMR, FTIR,WAXD, DSC, PLM and SEM, the relationship between impact properties and morphology of the copolymers has been discussed. The high impact properties of copolymer ICP2 may attribute to the relatively higher ethylene content and homogeneous ethylene unit distribution. The size and its distribution of spherulite in the copolymers and cycloid cavities dispersed in polypropylene continue phase may also be two important factors which affect the impact properties of these materials.

Two types of the regular copolymer of poly (1,4-phenyleneterephthalamide) were synthesized by the low temperature solution polycondensation in NMP-CaCl2 solvent system, using the piperazine or 2,5-dimethylpiperazine as the third components introduced in the main chain of poly (1,4-phenyleneterephthalamide). The properties of copolymers were characterized by IR, SEM, X-RAY diffraction, polarizing microscopy, TGA and solubilities.Experimental results showed that the copolymers had good solubility and thermal stability, the concentrated sulfuric acid (～ 98%) solution of regular PPTA copolymers had liquid crystalline properties.

This paper mainly deals with the design and synthesis of a novel styrene-butadiene block copolymer. When this copolymer is used in the tread portion of tyres, it can improve wet skid resistance and reduce rolling resistance without sacrificing its general physicalmechanical properties. The visco-elastic curve of tire tread using the novel copolymer as its rubber portion was showed. Reactivity ratios for two monomers in the polymerizing system were calculated. The diagrams of differential, integral and finite difference calculi throughout the whole molecular chain were presented. The influence of the micro- and macro-structure of the copolymer chain on wet skid resistance and rolling resistance was discussed.

Full Text Available Purpose: Polycaprolactone (PCL is a biodegradable polyester and has attracted attention as a suitable carrier for development of controlled drug delivery due to its non-toxicity and biocompatibility. It has been reported that the biodegradability of PCL can be enhanced by copolymerization with PEG. Molecular weight (Mw and CL block lengths optimization in a series of synthesized PCEC copolymers was the main purpose of this study. Methods: The composition of copolymers was designed using full factorial methodology. Molecular weight of used PEG (4 levels and weight ratio of epsilon-caprolactone/PEG (3 levels were selected as independent variables. The PCEC copolymers were synthesized by ring opening polymerization. Formation of copolymers was confirmed by FT-IR spectroscopy as well as H-NMR. The Mn of PCEC copolymers was calculated from HNMR spectra. The thermal behavior of copolymers was characterized on differential scanning calorimeter. Results: Molecular weight of twelve synthesized copolymers was ranged from 1782 to 9264. In order to evaluate the effect of selected variables on the copolymers composition and Mw, a mathematical model for each response parameter with p-value less than 0.001were obtained. Average percent error for prediction of total Mn of copolymers and Mn of CL blocks were 13.81% and 14.88% respectively. Conclusion: In conclusion, the proposed model is significantly valid due to obtained low percent error in Mn prediction of test sets.

Highly-ordered block copolymer films are prepared by a method that includes forming a polymeric replica of a topographically patterned crystalline surface, forming a block copolymer film on the topographically patterned surface of the polymeric replica, and annealing the block copolymer film. The resulting structures can be used in a variety of different applications, including the fabrication of high density data storage media. The ability to use flexible polymers to form the polymeric replica facilitates industrial-scale processes utilizing the highly-ordered block copolymer films.

Some physical properties of the polyester-polyether multiblock copolymers with Si-containing hard segment were further examined by a series of physical methods. The hydrophobicity of the copolymers was improved with the incorporation of increasing amount of orgauosilicone, XPS test proved that silicon element was enriched at the surface of the Si-containing polyester-polyether copolymers. It was also found that their heat resistance and gas permeability for O2 and N2 were greatly improved. The study on semipermeability of films made of the Si-containing copolymers was also followed with interest.

We developed a dynamic cell culture platform with dynamically tunable nano-roughness and elasticity. Temperature-responsive poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) films were successfully prepared by crosslinking linear and tetra-branched PCL macromonomers. By optimizing the mixing ratios, the crystal-amorphous transition temperature (Tm) of the crosslinked film was adjusted to the biological relevant temperature (~33 °C). While the crosslinked films are relatively stiff (50 MPa) below the Tm, they sudde...

Forest harvesting can influence stream temperature regimes, and the potentially deleterious impacts of higher temperatures on salmonids and other species have generated significant debate. One common approach to protecting streams is to leave a riparian buffer to provide shade. However, little information has been collected on the effectiveness of different buffer widths. We report the results of a 6-year field experiment to evaluate the effects of different riparian buffer widths on stream and riparian ecosystems, including stream temperatureresponse, in headwater streams in coastal British Columbia. The experiment included 13 streams, with at least three being assigned to each of four treatments, including no harvesting (80 yr-old second growth conifer riparian forest), clear-cut harvesting with 10 m and 30 m riparian buffers, and clear-cut harvesting with no buffer. Regression analysis was used to calibrate the pre-harvest data for each treatment stream with one of the control streams, to provide a basis for estimating post-harvest treatment effects. Autoregressive and heteroskedastic errors were included in the regression model, because stream temperature exhibited serial correlation and the error variance increased with stream temperature. Temperatureresponse was substantial in the clearcut treatments with no buffers, with maximum temperatures increasing by up to 8 degrees C. The magnitude of temperatureresponse amongst the no-buffer treatments varied with channel morphology, particularly in relation to bank shading and stream depth. The treatment effect for daily maximum water temperature increased with decreasing flow and increasing maximum air temperature on the current day, and also exhibited significant autocorrelation, indicating that the sequence of daily weather conditions can influence the magnitude of temperatureresponse.

Grafting of photoinitiator-4-maleimidobenzophenone (4-MBP) onto styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) triblock copolymer was carried out by free radical polymerization. The grafting ratio was evaluated by varying initiator concentrations, and the structure of grafted copolymer (SBS-g-MBP) was characterized by attenuated total reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results confirmed that 4-MBP was successfully grafted onto the SBS backbone. Thermal gravimetric analyzer (TGA), dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used to study the thermal properties and morphology of the SBS-g-MBP. From the data of TGA, the SBS-g-MBP had better thermal stability compared with that of SBS. DMTA testing indicated that the glass transition temperature (Tg) of SBS-g-MBP was higher than that of SBS. With the aid of SEM and AFM, the structure of micro-phase separation can be observed obviously. What is more, the aggregates become smaller compared with those of pure SBS. The experiment of UV-crosslinked SBS-g-MBP revealed that the gel fraction could be facilely controlled by adjusting grafting ratio and exposure time. The results suggested that this novel grafted copolymer could be attractive for its application in biomedical materials such as medical pressure-sensitive adhesive.

A copolymer is a chain of repetitive units (monomers) that are almost identical, but they differ in their degree of affinity for certain solvents. This difference leads to striking phenomena when the polymer fluctuates in a non-homogeneous medium, for example made up by two solvents separated by an interface. One may observe, for instance, the localization of the polymer at the interface between the two solvents. A discrete model of such system, based on the simple symmetric random walk on Z, has been investigated in [Bolthausen and den Hollander, Ann. Probab. 25 (1997), 1334-1366], notably in the weak polymer-solvent coupling limit, where the convergence of the discrete model toward a continuum model, based on Brownian motion, has been established. This result is remarkable because it strongly suggests a universal feature of copolymer models. In this work we prove that this is indeed the case. More precisely, we determine the weak coupling limit for a general class of discrete copolymer models, obtaining as ...

Conventional styrenic triblock copolymers (SBCs) swollen with a midblock-selective oil have been previously shown to exhibit excellent electromechanical properties as dielectric elastomers. In this class of electroactive polymers, compliant electrodes applied as active areas to opposing surfaces of an elastomer attract each other, and thus compress the elastomer due to the onset of a Maxwell stress, upon application of an external electric field. This isochoric process is accompanied by an increase in lateral area, which yields the electroactuation strain (measuring beyond 300% in SBC systems). Performance parameters such as the Maxwell stress, transverse strain, dielectric breakdown, energy density and electromechanical efficiency are determined directly from the applied electric field and resulting electroactuation strain. In this study, the same principle used to evaluate SBC systems is extended to olefinic block copolymers (OBCs), which can be described as randomly-coupled multiblock copolymers that consist of crystallizable polyethylene hard segments and rubbery poly(ethylene-co-octene) soft segments. Considerations governing the development of a methodology to fabricate electroresponsive OBC systems are first discussed for several OBCs differing in composition and bulk properties. Evidence of electroactuation in selectively-solvated OBC systems is presented and performance metrics measured therefrom are quantitatively compared with dielectric elastomers derived from SBC and related materials.

AB diblock and ABC triblock copolymers have been studied thoroughly. ABAC tetrablock copolymers, representing the simplest variation from ABC triblock by breaking the molecular symmetry via inserting some of the A block in between B and C blocks, have been studied systematically in this research. The model system is poly(styrene-b-isoprene-b-styrene-b-ethylene oxide) (SISO) tetrablock terpolymers and the resulting morphologies were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance, gel permeation chromatography, small-angle X-ray scattering, transmission electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic mechanical spectroscopy. Two novel phases are first discovered in a single component block copolymers: hexagonally ordered spherical phase and tentatively identified dodecagonal quasicrystalline (QC) phase. In particular, the discovery of QC phase bridges the world of soft matters to that of metals. These unusual sets of morphologies will be discussed in the context of segregation under the constraints associated with the tetrablock molecular architecture. Theoretical calculations based on the assumption of Gaussian chain statistics provide valuable insights into the molecular configurations associated with these morphologies. the U.S. Department of Energy, Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Materials Science and Engineering, under contract number DEAC05-00OR22725 with UT-Battelle LLC at Oak Ridge National Lab.

One-dimensional photonic crystals based on the periodic stacking of two different dielectric layers have been widely studied, but the fabrication of mechanically flexible polymer structural color (SC) films, with electro-active color switching, remains challenging. Here, we demonstrate free-standing electric field tunable ionic liquid (IL) swollen block copolymer (BCP) films. Placement of a polymer/ionic liquid film-reservoir adjacent to a self-assembled poly(styrene-block-quaternized 2-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-QP2VP) copolymer SC film allowed the development of red (R), green (G), and blue (B) full-color SC block copolymer films by swelling of the QP2VP domains by the ionic liquid associated with water molecules. The IL-polymer/BCP SC film is mechanically flexible with excellent color stability over several days at ambient conditions. The selective swelling of the QP2VP domains could be controlled by both the ratio of the IL to a polymer in the gel-like IL reservoir layer and by an applied voltage in the range of -3 to +6 V using a metal/IL reservoir/SC film/IL reservoir/metal capacitor type device. PMID:26505787

Cylindrical micelles formed from block copolymer solutions closely mimic biological fibers that are presumed to guide mineral formation during biosynthesis of hard tissues like bone. The goal of our work is to use acrylic block copolymers as oriented templates for studying mineral formation reactions in model systems where the structure of the underlying template is well characterized and reproducible. Self-consistent mean field theory is first applied to investigate the thermodynamically stable micellar morphologies as a function of temperature and block copolymer composition. Small-angle x-ray scattering, optical birefringence and shear rheometry are used to study the morphology development during thermal processing. Initial experiments are based on a thermally-reversible alcohol-soluble system that can be converted to an aqueous gel by hydrolysis of a poly(t-butyl methacrylate) block to a poly(methacrylic acid) block. Aligned cylindrical domains are formed in the alcohol-based system when shear is applied in an appropriate temperature regime, which is below the critical micelle temperature but above the temperature at which the relaxation time of the gels becomes too large. Processing strategies for producing the desired cylindrical morphologies are being developed that account for both thermodynamic and kinetic effects.

Nanostructured diblock copolymer films with embedded magnetic nanoparticles are prepared by solution casting. The diblock copolymer polystyrene-block-polymethylmethacrylate with a fully deuterated polystyrene block of a weight ratio of 0.22 is used as a structure-directing matrix. Maghemite nanoparticles ({gamma}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}) are coated with polystyrene and thus have a selective affinity to the minority block of the diblock copolymer. The hybrid film morphology is investigated as a function of nanoparticle concentration. The surface structure is probed with atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The inner film structure and the structure at the polymer-substrate interface are detected with grazing incidence small angle neutron scattering (GISANS). Irrespective of the nanoparticle concentration a well developed micro-phase separation structure is present. From the Bragg peaks observed in the GISANS data a linear nanoparticle concentration dependence of the inter-domain spacing of the micro-phase separation structure is determined. The superparamagnetic and blocking behavior can be explained with a generalized Stoner-Wohlfarth-Neel theory which includes either an elastic torque being exerted on the nanoparticles by the field or a broad distribution of anisotropy constants.

Full Text Available Fullerene derivatives have been widely used for conventional acceptor materials in organic photovoltaics (OPVs because of their high electron mobility. However, there are also considerable drawbacks for use in OPVs, such as negligible light absorption in the visible-near-IR regions, less compatibility with donor polymeric materials and high cost for synthesis and purification. Therefore, the investigation of non-fullerene acceptor materials that can potentially replace fullerene derivatives in OPVs is increasingly necessary, which gives rise to the possibility of fabricating all-polymer (polymer/polymer solar cells that can deliver higher performance and that are potentially cheaper than fullerene-based OPVs. Recently, considerable attention has been paid to donor-acceptor (D-A block copolymers, because of their promising applications as fullerene alternative materials in all-polymer solar cells. However, the synthesis of D-A block copolymers is still a challenge, and therefore, the establishment of an efficient synthetic method is now essential. This review highlights the recent advances in D-A block copolymers synthesis and their applications in all-polymer solar cells.

Graft copolymers that obtained by radiation grafting of acrylic acid and acrylamide onto LDPE film were converted to N-hydroxy ethyl amide and hydroxamic acid derivatives respectively. The possible application for the different prepared chemical derivatives of LDPE graft copolymers in metal adsorption from solutions containing a single cation or simulated medium active waste has been investigated. The results showed that the adsorption of Cu(II) metal by different chemical derivatives was greatly affected by different factors such as graft yield, ph value, concentration of metal in the feed solution, immersion time and treatment temperature. The affinity of N-hydroxy ethyl amide derivative toward the different metals was found to be in the order of; Cu(II) >Pd(II) > Cd(II)> Co(II). However, for hydroxamic acid derivative , the affinity order was: Cd(II) > Cu(II) > Co(II). The ESR and IR analysis revealed that the metal ions are chelated through the lone pair of electrons on the -OH and -NH- groups forming a ring structure. The measured metal ion uptake from simulated medium active waste mixture by N-hydroxy ethyl amide derivative was found to follow the following order: Fe> U> Ni> Zr> Zn> Cr. On the other hand, the measured metal uptake by hydroxamic acid derivative was found to follow: Fe>U> Zr> Ca. It is concluded that the prepared grafted copolymers are of interest for metal chelation and could be applied in the field of waste treatment

Full Text Available Polyacrylonitrile fiber encompasses a broad range of products based on acrylonitrile (AN which is readily copolymerized with a wide range of ethylenic unsaturated monomers giving rise to polymers with different characteristics and applications. Such products can be designed for cost-effective, flame and heat resistant solutions for the textile industry, aircraft and automotive markets. In the present work acrylonitrile was copolymerized with vinylidene chloride (VDC by conventional suspension polymerization process via redox system, with an initial content of 10%/mass of the VDC monomer. The copolymer average molecular weight was obtained by Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC and by intrinsic viscosity analysis. To control the polymerization process continuously, qualitative and quantitative analysis of the chloride content in the PAN AN/VDC copolymer structure was accomplished by using X-ray fluorescence and potentiometric titration techniques. A good correlation was found between these two techniques, leading to a straightforward verification of VDC in the polymer structure. The thermal behavior of PAN AN/VDC copolymer was performed by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA. The results showed that VDC monomers exhibited a nearly stoichiometric reaction with acrylonitrile, copolymerizing about 90% of its initial mass. VDC changed significantly the polyacrylonitrile thermal behavior, decreasing the polymer degradation temperature by about 40-50°C.

Lithium air batteries are a potential technology for affordable energy storage. They consist of a lithium metal anode and a porous air cathode separated by a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, such as PEO/LiTFSI (PEO = poly(ethylene oxide), LiTFSI = lithium bis-trifluoromethane sulfonimide). For extended operation of such a battery, the polymer electrolyte must conduct lithium ions while blocking electrons and gases present in air. In order to maintain a pressure difference the membrane must be mechanically robust, which can be achieved by incorporating the PEO into a block copolymer with a glassy block such as PS (PS = polystyrene). To protect the lithium electrode, the membrane must have low permeability to gases in air such as CO2, N2, and O2. We have therefore studied the permeation of pure gases through a PS-PEO block copolymer. A high molecular weight, symmetric block copolymer with a lamellar morphology was used to cast free-standing membranes. Gas permeability was measured through these membranes with a standard, pressure-based technique. A model was developed to account for transport through the polymer membrane consisting of semi-crystalline PEO lamellae and amorphous PS lamellae. PEO crystallinity was extracted from the permeation model and compares well with values from differential scanning calorimetry measurements.

The chain exchange kinetics of block copolymer micelles has been studied using time-resolved small-angle neutron scattering (TR-SANS), a key tool in determining the average micelle composition in contrast-matched solvents. In this work, PMMA-block-PnBMA was selected as the model block copolymer, which has a LCST behavior in the common ionic liquids, [EMIM][TFSI] and [BMIM][TFSI]. We examined the chain exchange kinetics of three PMMA-block-PnBMA copolymers, with identical PMMA block length (MPMMA = 25000) and different PnBMA block lengths (MPnBMA = 24000, 35000 and 53000); the Flory-Huggins interaction parameter (χ) between the core (PnBMA) and the solvent were varied by mixing [EMIM][TFSI] and [BMIM][TFSI] in different ratios. We found that the relaxation of the initial segregation of h- and d- micelles followed the same form with the time as previously developed by our group. Assuming that single chain expulsion is the rate limiting step, the thermal barrier was found to depend linearly on the core block length (Ncore) . Furthermore, the effect of χ on the chain exchange kinetics will also be discussed.

Fluorene-based copolymer is considered to be one of the most promising hole transporting and blue light-emitting conjugated polymers used in polymeric light-emitting diodes (PLEDs). Time-of-flight (TOF) technique has been employed to evaluate the charge drift mobility under a temperature range between 200 - 400 K at the thick film regime (1-10 micron). Meanwhile, contact ohmicity is studied by Dark Current Space Charge Limited Conduction (DISCLC) technique. Charge injection efficiencies from different electrical contacts are also studied and the corresponding injection barriers are independently investigated by photoemission and electroabsorption spectroscopies. Results show that the copolymers exhibit non-dispersive charge transport behavior and possess superior mobilities of up to 0.01cm^2V-1s-1 while single-carrier devices from various electrical contacts such as PEDOT:PSS are varied, depending on the chemical structure of amine component in the fluorene-triarylamine copolymers. Results will shed light on the enhancement of device efficiency and stability in the future polymer electronic devices.

Using scaling analysis and a self-consistent field (SCF) theory, we compress two copolymer-coated surfaces and isolate conditions that yield multiple, distinct minima in the interaction profile. We focus on planar surfaces that are coated with ABC triblock copolymers. Tethered to the surface by the last monomer in the C block, the copolymers are grafted at relatively low densities. The surrounding solution is a poor solvent for both the A and C blocks, and is a good solvent for the B blocks. Through scaling theory, we pinpoint the parameters that yield two minima in the interaction profile. The SCF calculations reveal the changes in the morphology of the polymers as the layers are compressed. Through both studies, we determine how the morphological changes give rise to the observed surface interactions. The results provide guidelines for creating polymer-coated colloidal systems that can form two stable crystal structures. Such systems could be used for bistable, optical switches. The findings also yield a prescription for creating systems that exhibit additional minima in the free energy of interaction. copyright 1998 American Institute of Physics

Structure and crystallization behavior of three copolymers obtained by grafting poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) chains to polyethylene (PE) main chain was investigated by variable temperature x-ray diffraction and thermal analysis. The results show that PEG side chains and PE main chains crystallize into separate domains. This is especially true when grafted chains are long (50 and 100 repeat units), in which the PEG domains are same as in PEG homopolymer both in structure and in melting behavior. In the copolymer with shorter chains (25 repeat units), the PEG crystals are not distinct and melting is broad. The PEG domains can be dissolved in water or ethanol without altering the mechanical integrity of the film. PE crystallites in both samples are similar to that in PE homopolymer. For instance, the thermal expansion of the basal cell plane (a- and b-axes) of the PE domains agrees well with that of PE homopolymer over the entire temperature range from ambient to melt. However, the chain-axis dimension PE-lattice in the copolymer is shorter by ˜ 0.05 å and the basal dimensions are larger by ˜ 0.05 å. The changes in these dimensions due to the changes in the length of the grafted PEG chains were investigated.

Polymers that conduct protons in the hydrated state are of crucial importance in a wide variety of clean energy applications such as hydrogen fuel cells and artificial photosynthesis. Phosphonated and sulfonated polymers are known to conduct protons at low water content. In this paper, we report on the synthesis phosphonated peptoid diblock copolymers, poly-N-(2-ethyl)hexylglycine-block-poly-N-phosphonomethylglycine (pNeh-b-pNpm), with volume fractions of pNpm (ϕNpm) values ranging from 0.13 to 0.44 and dispersity (Đ) ≤ 1.0003. The morphologies of the dry block copolypeptoids were determined by transmission electron microscopy and in both the dry and hydrated states by synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering. Dry samples with ϕNpm > 0.13 exhibited a lamellar morphology. Upon hydration, the lowest molecular weight sample transitioned to a hexagonally packed cylinder morphology, while the others maintained their dry morphologies. Water uptake of all of the ordered samples was 8.1 ± 1.1 water molecules per phosphonate group. In spite of this, the proton conductivity of the ordered pNeh-b-pNpm copolymers ranged from 0.002 to 0.008 S/cm. We demonstrate that proton conductivity is maximized in high molecular weight, symmetric pNeh-b-pNpm copolymers. PMID:27134312

Some materials show an abrupt increase in resistivity when the temperature changes only over a few degrees. This phenomenon, known as PTCR effect (positive temperature coefficient of resistivity), has been largely studied in the last few years, due to its potential applications in industry. Particularly, it can be used in auto controlled heaters, temperature sensors, protection circuits and in security systems for power electronic circuits. In this work we present the study of the electrical properties of the percolating system carbon black particles filled with ethylene butylacrylate copolymer composite (EBA), in the temperature range from -100 to 100 oC and in frequencies between 10 Hz and 100 kHz. The PTCR effect was observed at temperatures slightly above the room temperature, for concentrations higher than that of the percolation critical concentration. The mechanism responsible for the change in resistivity, at this stage, is predominantly tunnelling, wherein the conductive filler particles are not in physical contact, and the electrons tunnel through the insulating gap between them. At low temperatures, such as below and close to the glass transition temperature, the DC conductivity obeys the Arrhenius law. The calculated activation energy values are independent of carbon black contents inside the copolymer matrix, suggesting that these particles do not interact significantly with the chain segments of the macromolecules in the EBA copolymer.

Alkaline fuel cells (AFCs) using anion exchange membranes (AEMs) as electrolyte have recently received considerable attention. AFCs offer some advantages over proton exchange membrane fuel cells, including the potential of non-noble metal (e.g. nickel, silver) catalyst on the cathode, which can dramatically lower the fuel cell cost. The main drawback of traditional AFCs is the use of liquid electrolyte (e.g. aqueous potassium hydroxide), which can result in the formation of carbonate precipitates by reaction with carbon dioxide. AEMs with tethered cations can overcome the precipitates formed in traditional AFCs. Our current research focuses on developing different polymer systems (blend, block, grafted, and crosslinked polymers) in order to understand alkaline fuel cell membrane in many aspects and design optimized anion exchange membranes with better alkaline stability, mechanical integrity and ionic conductivity. A number of distinct materials have been produced and characterized. A polymer blend system comprised of poly(vinylbenzyl chloride)-b-polystyrene (PVBC-b-PS) diblock copolymer, prepared by nitroxide mediated polymerization (NMP), with poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) (PPO) or brominated PPO was studied for conversion into a blend membrane for AEM. The formation of a miscible blend matrix improved mechanical properties while maintaining high ionic conductivity through formation of phase separated ionic domains. Using anionic polymerization, a polyethylene based block copolymer was designed where the polyethylene-based block copolymer formed bicontinuous morphological structures to enhance the hydroxide conductivity (up to 94 mS/cm at 80 °C) while excellent mechanical properties (strain up to 205%) of the polyethylene block copolymer membrane was observed. A polymer system was designed and characterized with monomethoxy polyethylene glycol (mPEG) as a hydrophilic polymer grafted through substitution of pendent benzyl chloride groups of a PVBC

Formation of ordered (microphase separated) block copolymer nanostructures is a promising route towards creating isoporous membranes suitable for technological applications. We propose a new route to achieve this target: to choose such block copolymer architectures, which would provide a practically isotropic permeability both in the bulk and in thin films. Basing both on the weak segregation theory extension into the thin films and the self-consistent field theory numerical procedure we present the results concerning the effects of the wall confinement both with neutral, selective and patterned walls on the structure and stability of the block copolymer ordered films. The diamond-like morphology is found to be the most promising one as to optimizing the permeability of thin films. A new effect of the diamond morphology stability enhancement in the presence of a properly designed lamellar-like wall pattern is discovered and the corresponding phase diagram demonstrating the effect of the pattern scale and film width on the diamond morphology stability is presented. The financial support was provided by Ministry of Science and Education of Russian Federation (State Contract No. 02.740.11.0858) and European Commission (FP7 project NMP3-SL-2009- 228652 (SELFMEM)).

Replacing petroleum-based plastics with alternatives that are degradable and synthesized from annually renewable feedstocks is a critical goal for the polymer industry. Achieving this goal requires the development of sustainable analogs to commodity plastics which have equivalent or superior properties (e.g. mechanical, thermal, optical etc.) compared to their petroleum-based counterparts. This work focuses on improving and modulating the properties of a specific sustainable polymer, poly(lactide) (PLA), by incorporating it into triblock and multiblock copolymer architectures. The multiblock copolymers in this work are synthesized directly from dihydroxy-terminated triblock copolymers by a simple step-growth approach: the triblock copolymer serves as a macromonomer and addition of stoichiometric quantities of either an acid chloride or diisocyanate results in a multiblock copolymer. This work shows that over wide range of compositions, PLA-based multiblock copolymers have superior mechanical properties compared to triblock copolymers with equivalent chemical compositions and morphologies. The connectivity of the blocks within the multiblock copolymers has other interesting consequences on properties. For example, when crystallizable poly(L-lactide)-based triblock and multiblock copolymers are investigated, it is found that the multiblock copolymers have much slower crystallization kinetics. Additionally, the total number of blocks connected together is found to effect the linear viscoelastic properties as well as the alignment of lamellar domains under uniaxial extension. Finally, the synthesis and characterization of pressure-sensitive adhesives based upon renewable PLA-containing triblock copolymers and a renewable tackifier is detailed. Together, the results give insight into the effect of chain architecture, composition, and morphology on the mechanical behavior, thermal properties, and rheological properties of PLA-based materials.

Novel organometallic copolymers with Mn-Re binuclear transition-metal groups in the side chain are synthesized and characterized. The structure and properties of the copolymers are characterized by GPC, DSC, TG, NMR, FT-IR, UV-Vis spectra and elemental analysis. The glass transition temperature and UV-Vis spectra properties of these three organometallic copolymers are found to be different from the normal polystyrene. New synthetic strategy for the synthesis of organometallic copolymer is developed.

Several methyl-methacrylate/methacrylic acid copolymers were prepared in the presence of concentrated nitric acid. The obtained copolymers were characterized by molecular weigh determination and hydrolization degree. The molecular mobility of these copolymers was studied by solid state nuclear magnetic resonance. Results are presented

The poly ( lactic acid- co-lysine ) was synthesized using IR and 1 H NMR to characterize the copolymer. And then the RGD modification copolymer RGD-PLAL was prepared. The contact angles were used to see the RGD modification occurrence. Also high molecular weight polymer was controlled to the reaction of polymerization of copolymer.

.... (2) The weight average molecular weight of the copolymer is not less than 50,000 when determined by... described in ANSI/ASTM D3536-76, “Standard Test Method for Molecular Weight Averages and Molecular Weight... copolymers contain not more than 15 weight-percent of polymer units derived from methyl acrylate....

We have used the Scheutjens–Fleer self-consistent field (SF-SCF) method to predict the self-assembly of triblock copolymers with a solvophilic middle block and sufficiently long solvophobic outer blocks. We model copolymers consisting of polyethylene oxide (PEO) as the solvophilic block and poly(lac

This feature article summarizes the synthesis of novel olefin block copolymers using fast syndiospecific living homo-and copolymerization of propylene,higher 1-alkene,and norbomene with ansa-fluorenylamidodimethyltitaniumbased catalyst according to the authors' recent results.The catalytic synthesis of monodisperse polyolefin and olefin block copolymer was also described using this living system.

The large difference in reactivity of L-lactide and epsilon-caprolactone in ring opening polymerization with stannous octoate, leads to the formation of copolymers with blocky structures. By varying the polymerization temperature, copolymers with different average sequence lengths and molecular weig

behavior similar to that of the azo homopolymers. Thin films of these copolymers were characterized by transmission elevtron microscopy (TEM). A lamellar nanostructure was observed for azo content down to 20 wt %, while no structure is observed for the copolymer with a 7% azo content. The optical...

Poly (L-lactide)-poly(ethylene glycol) multiblock copolymers with predetermined block lengths were synthesized by polycondensation of PLA diols and PEG diacids. These copolymers presented special properties, such as better miscibility between the two components, low crystallinity and better hydrophilicity, which can be modulated by adjusting the block lengths of the two components.

We present a mesoscopic off-lattice model for the simulation of diblock copolymer melts by Monte Carlo techniques. A single copolymer molecule is modeled as a discrete Edwards chain consisting of two blocks with vertices of type A and B, respectively. The volume interaction is formulated in terms...

We used density functional theory (DFT) to investigate the formation of symmetric and asymmetric thin film of diblock copolymer melts by tuning the size of the slit confinement. In this work, the DFT contains a modified fundamental measure theory for the excluded volume effect and the first-order thermodynamic perturbation theory for the chain connectivity as well as the mean-field approximation for van der Waals attraction. For the symmetric A8B8 linear copolymers, it is observed that with the increase of the width of the slit, morphologies of copolymer in the slits undergo an evolution of 'non-layered structure → ABA → ABAB → BABAB → disordered structure', while the morphologies of asymmetric copolymer with the increase of the width of the slit exhibit a process of 'ABA → ABAB → ABABA → ABABAB lamellar structure' in all the cases studied. It suggests that the ratio of two blocks of a copolymer plays an important role on the structure of copolymer film. By adjusting the ratio of two blocks, some copolymer films with novel morphologies, including asymmetric ABAB lamellar structure, can be tailored. Furthermore, it is found that the bonding orientation distribution introduced into the DFT can act as a criterion to identify the disordered and ordered states of copolymers

In this study, DNA block copolymer (DBC) micelles with a polystyrene (PS) core and a single-stranded (ss) DNA shell were doped with ferrocene (Fc) molecules. Tapping mode atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to study the morphology of the doped and undoped block copolymer aggregates. We show that

This thesis is devoted to a theoretical study of self-assembly in specific block-copolymer systems. The ability of block copolymer-based systems to organize at the nanoscale level depends on several parameters, such as volume fraction of the different components, their molar masses and the strength

Ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer can be developed into new kinds of liquid embolization material possessing a great number of advantages in comparison with the current embolization substances. The authors reviewed the advancement of ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer in the treatment of cerebral arteriovenous malformation in recent years. (authors)

We show that polymeric materials characterized by two length scales are obtained if diblock copolymers are mixed with amphiphilic selective solvents, leading to self-organization which combines the “block copolymer length scale” with a much shorter “nanoscale”. In this work, the amphiphilic compound

Rheological data on monodisperse block copolymer hydrogels are rare because the amounts produced with various methods usually are not sufficient for materials testing. By biotechnological means, expression of a block copolymer encoding gene in the yeast Pichia pastoris, we produced enough protein bl

Segmented copolymers with telechelic poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether) (PPE) segments and crystallizable bisester tetra-amide units (two-and-a-half repeating unit of nylon-6,T) were studied. The copolymers were synthesized by reacting bifunctional PPE with hydroxylic end groups with an average

It is demonstrated that biomimetic stable triblock copolymer membrane arrays can be prepared using a scaffold containing 64 apertures of 300 μm diameter each. The membranes were made from a stock solution of block copolymers with decane as a solvent using a new deposition method. By using decane...

Block copolymers based on poly(pentafluorostyrene), PFS, in various numbers and of different lengths, and polystyrene are prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Di- and triblock copolymers with varying amounts of PFS were synthesized employing either I phenylethylbromide or 1,4-...

Block copolymers exhibit a wealth of morphologies that continue to find ubiquitous use in a diverse variety of mature and emergent (nano)technologies, such as photonic crystals, integrated circuits, pharmaceutical encapsulents, fuel cells and separation membranes. While numerous studies have explored the effects of molecular confinement on such copolymers, relatively few have examined the sub-microdomain structure that develops upon modification of copolymer molecular architecture or physical incorporation of nanoscale objects. This work will address two relevant topics in this vein: (i) bidisperse brushes formed by single block copolymer molecules and (ii) copolymer nanocomposites formed by addition of molecular or nanoscale additives. In the first case, an isomorphic series of asymmetric poly(styrene-b -isoprene-b-styrene) (S1IS2) triblock copolymers of systematically varied chain length has been synthesized from a parent SI diblock copolymer. Small-angle x-ray scattering, coupled with dynamic rheology and self-consistent field theory (SCFT), reveals that the progressively grown S2 block initially resides in the I-rich matrix and effectively reduces the copolymer incompatibility until a critical length is reached. At this length, the S2 block co-locates with the S1 block so that the two blocks generate a bidisperse brush (insofar as the S1 and S2 lengths differ). This single-molecule analog to binary block copolymer blends affords unique opportunities for materials design at sub-microdomain length scales and provides insight into the transition from diblock to triblock copolymer (and thermoplastic elastomeric nature). In the second case, I explore the distribution of molecular and nanoscale additives in microphase-ordered block copolymers and demonstrate via SCFT that an interfacial excess, which depends strongly on additive concentration, selectivity and relative size, develops. These predictions are in agreement with experimental findings. Moreover, using a

The copolymers containing carbazole unit and iridium complexes, such as (Ir(bpy)2Cl, Ir(mbpy)2Cl and Ir(Brbpy)2Cl, were synthesized via radical copolymerization of N-vinylcarbazole, methyl methacrylate and iridium complex. The synthesized copolymers were characterized by FT-IR, UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, respectively. According to the results, the copolymers (Ir(Brbpy)2Cl/PVK and Ir(mbpy)2Cl/PVK) exhibit yellow phosphorescence with an emission peak at around 553 nm under UV-visible light in the solid state. The results also reveal almost complete energy transfer from the host carbazole segments to the guest Ir complex in the copolymer film when the Ir content reaches 1.0 wt.%. The synthesized copolymers are good candidates as blue or yellow phosphorescent materials for PLED applications.

Crosslinked polyimide-poly(alkylene oxide) copolymers capable of holding large volumes of liquid while maintaining good dimensional stability. Copolymers are derived at ambient temperatures from amine endcapped amic-acid oligomers subsequently imidized in solution at increased temperatures, followed by reaction with trifunctional compounds in the presence of various additives. Films of these copolymers hold over four times their weight at room temperature of liquids such as ionic liquids (RTIL) and/or carbonate solvents. These rod-coil polyimide copolymers are used to prepare polymeric electrolytes by adding to the copolymers various amounts of compounds such as ionic liquids (RTIL), lithium trifluoromethane-sulfonimide (LiTFSi) or other lithium salts, and alumina.

A theoretical method based on dynamic version of self-consistent field theory is extended to investigate directed self-assembly behaviors of block copolymers subjected to zone annealing. The ordering mechanisms and orientation modulation of microphase-separated nanostructures of block copolymers are discussed in terms of sweep velocity, wall preference, and Flory-Huggins interaction parameter. The simulated results demonstrate that the long-range ordered nanopatterns are achieved by lowering the sweep velocity of zone annealing due to the incorporation of templated ordering of block copolymers. The surface enrichment by one of the two polymer species induces the orientation modulation of defect-free nanostructures through finely tuning the composition of block copolymers and the preference of walls. Additionally, the Flory-Huggins interaction parameters of block copolymers in the distinct regions are main factors to design the zone annealing process for creating the highly ordered nanostructures with single orientation. PMID:27004895

We synthesized star-shaped polystyrene-block-poly(methyl methacrylate) copolymer (PS- b-PMMA) by utilizing α-cyclodextrin (α-CD) as a core of the star-shaped block copolymer. Eighteen hydroxyl groups on α-CD were transformed to bromine by the reaction with α-bromoisobutyryl bromide. We found that the number of bromine substituted arms per one α-CD was higher than 16, which was determined by nuclear magnetic resonance and Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization. We could control molecular weight of block copolymers by changing polymerization times. The block copolymers were characterized by gel permeation chromatography and nuclear magnetic resonance. Phase behaviors of these star-shaped block copolymers were investigated by small angle X-ray scattering and transmission electron microscopy.

Full Text Available The diblock copolymer PTPA-b-PS consisting of poly(4-butyltripheneylamine (PTPA and polystyrene was prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization followed by C–N coupling polymerization. Three types of block copolymers with different contents of polystyrene segment were prepared. The formation of block copolymer was confirmed by 1H NMR spectra and gel permeation chromatography (GPC profiles. Time of flight (TOF measurement revealed that the block copolymer showed higher hole mobility up to 1.3 × 10−4 cm2/Vs compared with PTPA homopolymer. The surface morphology of block copolymer films blended with [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM was investigated by Atomic force microscopy (AFM. Introduction of polystyrene segment provided microphase-separated structures with domain sizes of around 20 nm. The photovoltaic device based on PTPA-b-PS, PTPA, and PCBM exhibited higher efficiency than that of homopolymer blend system.

P(AA-MA) copolymers composed of acrylic acid and methyl acrylate with different molecular weights and sequence structures were synthesized by combination of ATRP and selective hydrolysis. These copolymers were used as membrane materials to separate benzene/cyclohexane mixture by pervaporation. The effects of molecular weight and sequence structure of the copolymers on the pervaporation performance were investigated in detail. For the random copolymers, the permeate flux decreased rapidly with the increasing of molecular weight. The separation factor was also influenced by the molecular weight, which was changed from no selectivity to cyclohexane selectivity with increasing the molecular weight. Contrarily, the block copolymer membrane showed good benzene selectivity with separation factor of 4.3 and permeate flux of 157 g/(m2h) to 50 wt％ benzene/cyclohexane mixture.

The immobilization of yeast cells was carried out by using the copolymer produced by radiation polymerization of hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA) and glyciolyl methacrylate (GMA) monomer at -78 degree C low temperature. The immobilized cells with the copolymer, poly (HEA-GMA) had higher ethanol productivity than free cells. However, the ethanol productivity of immobilized cells varied with the composition of copolymer, in which the ethanol productivity of immobilized yeast cells with the copolymer from 17% HEA and 6% GMA was the highest, 29 mg/ml · h, increasing by 3 times in comparison with that of free cells. And it was obvious that the activity of immobilized yeast cells was higher when the concentration of monomer was 20-30%. The relation between the properties of copolymer and the ethanol productivity of immobilized yeast cells was also investigated

Metallocenic polypropylene and copolymers with 3.7, and 9.2 mol% of hexene and 3.0 mol% of octadecene comonomer content were synthesized without the presence of additives and irradiated with 60Co gamma radiation under vacuum at room temperature. Size Exclusion Cromatography and gel extraction data showed that scission reactions predominate over crosslinking in the homopolymer and that there is a dose from where crosslinking started to increase considerably, in the irradiated copolymers. Rheology also showed evidence of chain-enlargements on the copolymers by means of an increase in the viscoelastic properties of the irradiated material. - Highlight: ► Vacuum gamma irradiation of metallocenic isotactic propylene copolymers. ► We examine the radioinduced changes in rheological properties and molecular weights. ► Radioinduced crosslinking in the copolymers, without the presence of additives. ► Dependence of crosslinking with copolymer′s length and amount of short branches.

A theoretical method based on dynamic version of self-consistent field theory is extended to investigate directed self-assembly behaviors of block copolymers subjected to zone annealing. The ordering mechanisms and orientation modulation of microphase-separated nanostructures of block copolymers are discussed in terms of sweep velocity, wall preference, and Flory-Huggins interaction parameter. The simulated results demonstrate that the long-range ordered nanopatterns are achieved by lowering the sweep velocity of zone annealing due to the incorporation of templated ordering of block copolymers. The surface enrichment by one of the two polymer species induces the orientation modulation of defect-free nanostructures through finely tuning the composition of block copolymers and the preference of walls. Additionally, the Flory-Huggins interaction parameters of block copolymers in the distinct regions are main factors to design the zone annealing process for creating the highly ordered nanostructures with single orientation.

Solvent- and water-based microemulsions of aniline and pyrrole copolymers were synthesized, and the thermal degradation properties of the copolymers were studied. The morphology of the copolymers prepared using solvent-based microemulsions containing 80 % aniline in the feed showed highly oriented, crystalline, ordered long nano-fibers which were even more structured than that of pure aniline prepared by the same method. The influence of the degree of crystallinity calculated from X-ray diffraction and morphology had an overlap with thermal degradation and activation energies of different transitions. Copolymers prepared with water-based microemulsions were thermally less stable than the ones prepared using solvent-based microemulsions. The concentration of pyrrole and aniline mutually influenced the thermal properties of the copolymers.

The origins of the exceptional toughness and elastomeric properties of gels and elastomers from block copolymers with semicrystalline syndiotactic polypropylene blocks will be discussed. Using synchrotron X-radiation small angle (SAXS) and wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) experiments were simultaneously performed during step cycle tensile deformation of these elastomers and gels. From these results the toughness can be attributed to the formation, orientation and elongation of the crystalline fibrils along the tensile direction. The true stress and true strain ɛH during each cycle were recorded, including the true strain at zero load ɛH,p after each cycle that resulted from the plastic deformation of the sPP crystals in the gel or elastomer. The initial Young's modulus Einit and maximum tangent modulus Emax in each cycle undergo dramatic changes as a function of ɛH,p, with Einit decreasing for ɛH,p 100 to 1000 at the highest maximum (nominal) strain. Based on SAXS patterns from the deformed and relaxed gels, as well as on previous results on deformation of semicrystalline random copolymers by Strobl and coworkers, we propose that the initial decrease in Einit and increase in Emax with ɛH,p are due to a breakup of the network of the original sPP crystal lamellae and the conversion of the sPP lamellae into fibrils whose aspect ratio increases with further plastic deformation, respectively. The gel elastic properties can be understood quantitatively as those of a short fiber composite with a highly deformable matrix. At zero stress the random copolymer midblock chains that connect the fibrils cause these to make all angles to the tensile axis (low Einit), while at the maximum strain the stiff, crystalline sPP fibrils align with the tensile axis producing a strong, relatively stiff gel. The evolution of the crystalline structure during deformation is confirmed by WAXS and FTIR measurements.

Several series of amphiphilic diblock copolymers are investigated as macrosurfactants in comparison to reference low-molar-mass and polymeric surfactants. The various copolymers share poly(butyl acrylate) as a common hydrophobic block but are distinguished by six different hydrophilic blocks (one anionic, one cationic, and four nonionic hydrophilic blocks) with various compositions. Dynamic light scattering experiments indicate the presence of micelles over the whole concentration range from 10(-4) to 10 g x L(-1). Accordingly, the critical micellization concentrations are very low. Still, the surface tension of aqueous solutions of block copolymers decreases slowly but continuously with increasing concentration, without exhibiting a plateau. The longer the hydrophobic block, the shorter the hydrophilic block, and the less hydrophilic the monomer of the hydrophilic block is, the lower the surface tension is. However, the effects are small, and the copolymers reduce the surface tension much less than standard low-molar-mass surfactants. Also, the copolymers foam much less and even act as anti-foaming agents in classical foaming systems composed of standard surfactants. The copolymers stabilize O/W emulsions made of methyl palmitate as equally well as standard surfactants but are less efficient for O/W emulsions made of tributyrine. However, the copolymer micelles exhibit a high solubilization power for hydrophobic dyes, probably at their core-corona interface, in dependence on the initial geometry of the micelles and the composition of the block copolymers. Whereas micelles of copolymers with strongly hydrophilic blocks are stable upon solubilization, solubilization-induced micellar growth is observed for copolymers with moderately hydrophilic blocks. PMID:16618143

Polyethylenes generally crystallize in the orthorhombic form at atmospheric pressure, whereas the homopolymer is known to produce chain-extended crystals through the intervention of a hexagonal phase at pressures in excess of 3kbar. The crystallization of ethylene-octene copolymer with 4 hexyl branches per 1000 carbon atoms, at relatively low pressures, produced high melting points inconsistent with thin crystals. SEM studies demonstrate the presence of significant amounts of spherulites containing crystals ca. 100nm in thickness, consistent with the thermal behavior. Thick crystals suggest the formation of a phase that is capable of dissolving large number of hexyl groups during crystallization. The phase diagrams of ethylene-octene copolymers have been constructed using polarized light intensity studies at elevated pressures. It has been established that the triple point is very sensitive to comonomer (hexyl branch) content and moves rapidly to low pressures as comonomer content is increased. It is believed that the triple point in the systems discussed here is between the melt, monoclinic and orthorhombic phases. On dropping pressure to atmospheric, the metastable (monoclinic) phase decays to orthorhombic phase, necessitating the expulsion of excess hexyl groups to an amorphous phase. The process is akin to a eutectoid transformation and results in conversion of the thick monoclinic crystals to thin orthorhombic crystals, which are detected by SAXS and show the expected low melting points at atmospheric pressure. The influences of crystallization temperature and of hexyl branch content on the band spacing have been elucidated for ethylene-octene copolymers, generating valuable new information. A given band spacing is found at increasingly lower crystallization temperatures as hexyl group content is increased. There appears to be a relatively linear relation between the observed temperature shift and the hexyl group content. Studies of a copolymer containing 4

Ligand-stabilized platinum nanoparticles (Pt NPs) were self-assembled with poly(isoprene-block-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (PI-b-PDMAEMA) block copolymers to generate organic-inorganic hybrid materials. High loadings of NPs in hybrids were achieved through usage of N,N-di-(2-(allyloxy)ethyl)-N-3-mercaptopropyl-N-3-methylammonium chloride as the ligand, which provided high solubility of NPs in various solvents as well as high affinity to PDMAEMA. From NP synthesis, existence of sub-1 nm P...

Several poloxamers that are symmetrical EPE block copolymers (E and P are ethylene and propylene oxide, respectively) have been characterized by size exclusion chromatography on Superose columns in water. The poloxamers contain between 12 and 26 wt% of smaller-size UV-absorbing impurities....... Poloxamer P94 (E28P48E28) forms micelles with increasing temperature, and micellization was investigated by eluent gel permeation chromatography (EGPC). EGPC results demonstrate that P94 impurities are not incorporated into the micelles up to 38°C. The importance of poloxamer heterogeneity for thermodynamic...

Polystyrene-block-polyferrocenylsilane (PS-b-PFS) diblock copolymers were stoichiometrically oxidized in solution using salts of the one-electron oxidant tris(4-bromophenyl)ammoniumyl. Due to a redox-induced polarity change for the PFS block, self-assembly into well-defined spherical micelles occurs. The micelles are composed of a core of partially oxidized PFS segments and a corona of PS. When the micellar solutions were treated with the reducing agent decamethylcobaltocene, the spherical micelles disassemble and regenerate unassociated and pristine PS-b-PFS free chains. PMID:17971963

We synthesized and characterized a new family of di-block copolymers based on the amino acid sequences of Nephila clavipes major ampulate dragline spider silk, having the form HABn and HBAn (n=1–3), comprising an alanine-rich hydrophobic block, A, a glycine-rich hydrophilic block, B, and a histidine tag, H. The reversing heat capacities, Cp(T), for temperatures below and above the glass transition, Tg, were measured by temperature modulated differential scanning calorimetry. For the solid sta...

Full Text Available Photoresponsive block copolymers (PRBCs containing azobenzenes and other chromophores can be easily prepared by controlled polymerization. Their photoresponsive behaviors are generally based on photoisomerization, photocrosslinking, photoalignment and photoinduced cooperative motions. When the photoactive block forms mesogenic phases upon microphase separation of PRBCs, supramolecular cooperative motion in liquid-crystalline PRBCs enables them to self-organize into hierarchical structures with photoresponsive features. This offers novel opportunities to photocontrol microphase-separated nanostructures of well-defined PRBCs and extends their diverse applications in holograms, nanotemplates, photodeformed devices and microporous films.

The creation of new materials "by design" is a process that starts from desired materials properties and proceeds to identify requirements for the constituent components. Such process is challenging because it inverts the typical modeling approach, which starts from given micro-level components to predict macro-level properties. We describe how to tackle this inverse problem using concepts from evolutionary computation. These concepts have widespread applicability and open up new opportunities for design as well as discovery. Here we apply them to design tasks involving two very different classes of soft materials, shape-optimized granular media and nanopatterned block copolymer thin films.

Silicone-acrylate copolymer latex was prepared through three different polymerization processes, i.e., the batch process, preemulsified monomer addition and the monomer addition process. The results revealed that the monomer addition process is a desirable approach to produce narrow particle size distribution latex with higher polymerization conversion and less amount of coagulum. The effect of silicone content on the glossiness and water absorption of latex film was investigated and the results showed that the glossiness of latex film is improved up to a silicone content of 10% of total monomers, but becomes impaired thereafter, whereas water absorption is reduced accordingly.

The sensitivity of photosynthetic metabolism to temperature has been identified as a key uncertainty for projecting the magnitude of the terrestrial feedback on future climate change. While temperatureresponses of photosynthetic capacities have been comparatively well investigated in temperate species, the responses of tropical tree species remain unexplored. We compared the responses of seedlings of native cold-adapted tropical montane rainforest tree species to exotic warm-adapted plantation species, all growing in an intermediate temperature common garden in Rwanda. Leaf gas exchange responses to CO2 at different temperatures (20 - 40 C) were used to assess the temperatureresponses of biochemical photosynthetic capacities. Analyses revealed a lower optimum temperature for photosynthetic electron transport rates than for Rubisco carboxylation rates, along with lower electron transport optima in the native cold-adapted than in the exotic warm-adapted species. The photosynthetic optimum temperatures were generally exceeded by daytime peak leaf temperatures, in particular in the native montane rainforest climax species. This study thus provides evidence of pronounced negative effects of high temperature in tropical trees and indicates high susceptibility of montane rainforest climax species to future global warming. (Reference: New Phytologist, in press)

A new lithographic technique has been developed and applied to cell adhesion studies and electro-optical material development. Attachment of 6 nm Au particles, in periodic and non-periodic pattern, onto non-conductive substrates has been achieved. This was performed via a combination of diblock copolymer self-assembly and electron beam lithographic techniques. To optimize e-beam resolution on non-conductive materials, an additional carbon layer was thread-coated onto the substrates. This carbon coating and the diblock copolymer used in the self-assembly step were simultaneously removed by a final hydrogen plasma treatment to reveal Au nanodot patterns of unprecedented pattern quality. These optically transparent substrates (glass cover slips) were bio-functionalized via the Au-dot patterns to yield a platform for unique cell adhesion studies. The same Au-dot patterning technique was applied to sapphire substrates, which were subsequently employed to nucleate electro-optically active ZnO nanopost growth

The adsorption behavior of symmetric triblock copolymers, Am/2BnAm/2, from a nonselective solvent at solid-liquid interface has been studied by Monte Carlo simulations on a simple lattice model. Either segment A or segment B is attractive, while the other is non-attractive to the surface. Influences of the adsorption energy,bulk concentration, chain composition and chain length on the microstructure of adsorbed layers are presented.The results show that the total surface coverage and the adsorption amount increases monotonically as the bulk concentration increases. The larger the adsorption energy and the higher the fraction of adsorbing segments, the higher the total surface coverage is exhibited. The product of surface coverage and the proportion of non-attractive segments are nearly independent of the chain length, and the logarithm of the adsorption amount is a linear function of the reciprocal of the reduced temperature. When the adsorption energy is larger, the adsorption amount exhibits a maximum as the fraction of adsorbing segment increases. The adsorption isotherms of copolymers with different length of non-attractive segments can be mapped onto a single curve under given adsorption energy. The adsorption layer thickness decreases as the adsorption energy and the fraction of adsorbing segments increases, but it increhses as the length of non-attractive segments increases. The tails mainly govern the adsorption layer thickness.

We report a characterization of the relative stability and structural behavior of various micellar crystals of an athermal model of AB-diblock copolymers in solution. We adopt a previously devel- oped coarse-graining representation of the chains which maps each copolymer on a soft dumbbell. Thanks to this strong reduction of degrees of freedom, we are able to investigate large aggregated systems, and for a specific length ratio of the blocks f = MA/(MA + MB) = 0.6, to locate the order-disorder transition of the system of micelles. Above the transition, mechanical and thermal properties are found to depend on the number of particles per lattice site in the simulation box, and the application of a recent methodology for multiple occupancy crystals (B.M. Mladek et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 235702 (2007)) is necessary to correctly define the equilibrium state. Within this scheme we have performed free energy calculations at two reduced density {\\rho}/{\\rho}\\ast = 4,5 and for several cubic structures as FCC,BCC,A1...

Structural transitions in a single AB-copolymer chain where saturating bonds can be formed between A-and B-units are studied by means of Monte Carlo computer simulations using the bond fluctuation model. Three transitions are found, coil-globule, coil-hairpin and globule-hairpin, depending on the nature of a particular AB-sequence: statistical random sequence, diblock sequence and 'random-complementary' sequence (one-half of such an AB-sequence is random with Bernoulli statistics while the other half is complementary to the first one). The properties of random-complementary sequences are closer to those of diblock sequences than to the properties of random sequences. The model (although quite rough) is expected to represent some basic features of real RNA molecules, i.e. the formation of secondary structure of RNA due to hydrogen bonding of corresponding bases and stacking interactions of the base pairs in helixes. We introduce the notation of RNA-like copolymers and discuss in what sense the sequences studie...

Polyethylenes generally crystallize in the orthorhombic form at atmospheric pressure, whereas the homopolymer is known to produce chain-extended crystals through the intervention of a hexagonal phase at pressures in excess of 3kbar. Crystallization of an ethylene - octene copolymer having 4 hexyl branches per 1000 carbon atoms (LO4) at relatively low pressures produced a high melting point inconsistent with thin crystals. SEM studies demonstrate the presence of significant amounts of spherulites containing crystals ca. 100nm in thickness, consistent with the thermal behavior. Thick crystals are also observed in copolymers with higher octene content when they are crystallized at atmospheric pressure. Studies of the phase diagrams show that the behavior is consistent with the formation of a metastable intervening phase, believed to be monoclinic. The phase produces a triple point close to atmospheric pressure for LO4, which is dependent on octene content. This phase is capable of dissolving large numbers of hexyl groups during crystallization, making the formation of the thick crystals possible. The metastable phase decays to orthorhombic, on dropping pressure to atmospheric, necessitating the expulsion of excess hexyl groups to an amorphous phase. The process appears to be similar to a eutectoid transformation and results in conversion of the thick monoclinic crystals to thin orthorhombic crystals, which are detected by SAXS and show the expected low melting points at atmospheric pressure. For higher octene contents the triple point is below atmospheric pressure. The studies demonstrate that the recent controversial mechanisms, involving spinodal decomposition prior to crystallization, are erroneous.

Wire-grid polarizers (WGPs) are currently limited by their wafer-scale manufacturing methods to sizes of approximately 12 to 18 in. For large-size displays, a new method for the production of large-area WGPs is required. Large-area WGPs were simulated using the finite-difference-time-domain method, and a scaleable method for their production based on a block copolymer (BCP)-nanostructured template was implemented. The nanostructured template is globally aligned through the use of a cylinder-forming liquid crystal (LC) diblock copolymer, which is first aligned on a rubbed polyimide substrate. A surface-relief template is produced using the differential dry etch rates of the cylinder-forming component and LC polymer matrix component of the BCP. The template is metalized to produce a WGP. Polarizers of arbitrary size with polarization efficiency up to 0.6 have been made in close agreement with calculated values for idealized structures. The choice of the cylinder-forming polymer is critical to the degree of alignment of the template, and the thermal stability of the LC polymer matrix is critical to the stability of the template during etching.

Ligand-stabilized platinum nanoparticles (Pt NPs) were self-assembled with poly(isoprene-block-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (PI-b-PDMAEMA) block copolymers to generate organic-inorganic hybrid materials. High loadings of NPs in hybrids were achieved through usage of N,N-di-(2-(allyloxy)ethyl)-N-3-mercaptopropyl-N-3-methylammonium chloride as the ligand, which provided high solubility of NPs in various solvents as well as high affinity to PDMAEMA. From NP synthesis, existence of sub-1 nm Pt NPs was confirmed by high-angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) images. Estimations of the Pt NP ligand head group density based on HAADF-STEM images and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) data yielded results comparable to what has been found for alkanethiol self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on flat Pt {111} surfaces. Changing the volume fraction of Pt NPs in block copolymer-NP composites yielded hybrids with spherical micellar, wormlike micellar, lamellar and inverse hexagonal morphologies. Disassembly of hybrids with spherical, wormlike micellar, and lamellar morphologies generated isolated metal-NP based nano-spheres, cylinders and sheets, respectively. Results suggest the existence of powerful design criteria for the formation of metal-based nanostructures from designer blocked macromolecules. PMID:21103025

Ionic interactions between proteins and polyelectrolytes are demonstrated as a method to trigger responsive transitions in block copolymer (BCP) photonic gels containing one neutral hydrophobic block and one cationic hydrophilic block. Poly(2-vinylpyridine) (P2VP) blocks in lamellar poly(styrene-b-2-vinylpyridine) block copolymer thin films are quaternized with primary bromides to yield swollen gels that show strong reflectivity peaks in the visible range; exposure to aqueous solutions of various proteins alters the swelling ratios of the quaternized P2VP (QP2VP) gel layers in the PS-QP2VP materials due to the ionic interactions between proteins and the polyelectrolyte. Parameters such as charge density, hydrophobicity, and cross-link density of the QP2VP gel layers as well as the charge and size of the proteins play significant roles on the photonic responses of the BCP gels. Differences in the size and pH-dependent charge of proteins provide a basis for fingerprinting proteins based on their temporal and equilibrium photonic response. The results demonstrate that the BCP gels and their photonic effect provide a robust and visually interpretable method to differentiate different proteins. PMID:25393374

Block copolymers composed of polyoxyethylene and polyoxypropylene were found to increase the influx of Na+ and the efflux of K+ from human erythrocytes. They were, however, ineffective at promoting the transport of 45Ca2+. The size of the ion fluxes induced by the copolymers correlated with their efficacy in stimulating inflammation. These compounds were also found to induce conductance increases in planar lipid bilayers in a nonvoltage dependent and nonstepwise manner. In both experimental systems, ion transport was facilitated only under temperature and ionic-strength conditions in which the polymers form aggregates in aqueous solution. In neither system did the concentration dependence of transport activity exhibit a pronounced cooperativity. These observations are consistent with the view that aqueous monomers of these surface active agents partition into the membrane, where they facilitate the conductive movement of monovalent cations by means of a carrier type mechanism. As a novel class of ionophores, these substances are of practical interest because they can be water soluble and are potentially reversible

Stearic and oleic acid-coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles were dispersed in decahydronaphthalene (DN). This oil phase was dispersed in water using ternary graft copolymer poly(glycidyl methacrylate)-graft-[polystyrene-ran-(methoxy polyethylene glycol)-ran-poly(2-cinnamoyloxyethyl methacrylate)] or PGMA-g-(PS-r-MPEG-r-PCEMA) to yield capsules. The walls of these capsules were composed of PCEMA chains that were soluble in neither water nor DN, and the DN-soluble PS chains stretched into the droplet phase and the water-soluble MPEG chains extended into the aqueous phase. Structurally stable capsules were prepared by photolyzing the capsules with UV light to cross-link the PCEMA layer. Both the magnetite particles and the magnetite-containing capsules were superparamagnetic. The sizes of the capsules increased as they were loaded with more magnetite nanoparticles, reaching a maximal loading of ~0.5 mg of ligated magnetite nanoparticles per mg of copolymer. But the radii of the capsules were always oil-filled polymer nanocapsules--was prepared. The more heavily loaded capsules were readily captured by a magnet and could be redispersed via shaking. Although the cross-linked capsules survived this capturing and redispersing treatment many times, the un-cross-linked capsules ruptured after four cycles. These results suggest the potential to tailor-make capsules with tunable wall stability for magnetically controlled release applications. PMID:24684287

Amphiphilic block copolymers containing hydrophobic perfluorocyclobutyl-based (PFCB) polyacrylate and hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) segments were prepared via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAP-T) polymerization. The PFCB-containing acrylate monomer, p-(2-(p-tolyloxy)perfluorocyclobutoxy)phenyl acrylate, was first synthesized from commercially available compounds in good yields, and this kind of acrylate monomer can be homopolymerized by free radical polymerization or RAFT polymerization. Kinetic study showed the 2,2'-azobis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN) initiated and cumyl dithiobenzoate (CDB) mediated RAFT polymerization was in a living fashion, as suggested by the fact that the number-average molecular weights (M_n) increased linearly with the conversions of the monomer, while the polydispersity indices kept less than 1.10. The block polymers with narrow molecular weight distributions (M_w/M_n≤1.21) were prepared through RAFT polymerization using PEG monomethyl ether capped with 4-cyanopentanoic acid dithiobenzoate end group as the macro chain transfer agent (mPEG-CTA). The length of the hydrophobic segment can be tuned by the feed ratio of the PFCB-based acrylate monomer and the extending of the polymerization time. The micellization behavior of the block copolymers in aqueous media was investigated by the fluorescence probe technique.

The use of radiation grafting to immobilise a typical enzyme, trypsin, is reported. The technique involves radiation grafting to a backbone polymer a monomer containing an appropriate functional group to which the enzyme is bonded. In the present work, p-nitrostyrene has been grafted to representative trunk polymers, polypropylene and PVC, the nitro group in the resulting copolymer converted to the isothiocyanato derivative to which trypsin is attached. Of importance to this insolubilisation process, especially for radiation sensitive backbone polymers, is the inclusion of additives which enhance grafting. A new class of additives which increase the grafting yields is reported using as representative backbone polymers, naturally occurring cellulose and synthetic low density polyethylene. The new additives are specific metal salts such as LiClO4. The reactivity of these salts in grafting enhancement has been compared with that of mineral acid which has previously been used as an additive to increase grafting yields in both preirradiation and simultaneous techniques. A new model for grafting enhancement in the presence of the metal salts as well as acids is proposed whereby increased grafting yields are attributed to increased partitioning of monomer into the graft region in the presence of ionic solutes. The value of these additives in preparing copolymers suitable for general reagent insolubilisation reactions is discussed

The use of radiation grafting to immobilise a typical enzyme, trypsin, is reported. The technique involves radiation grafting to a backbone polymer a monomer containing an appropriate functional group to which the enzyme is bonded. In the present work, p-nitrostyrene has been grafted to representative trunk polymers, polypropylene and PVC, the nitro group in the resulting copolymer converted to the isothiocyanato derivative to which trypsin is attached. Of importance to this insolubilisation process, especially for radiation sensitive backbone polymers, is the inclusion of additives which enhance grafting. A new class of additives which increase the grafting yields is reported using as representative backbone polymers, naturally occurring cellulose and synthetic low density polyethylene. The new additives are specific metal salts such as LiClO 4. The reactivity of these salts in grafting enhancement has been compared with that of mineral acid which has previously been used as an additive to increase grafting yields in both preirradiation and simultaneous techniques. A new model for grafting enhancement in the presence of the metal salts as well as acids is proposed whereby increased grafting yields are attributed to increased partitioning of monomer into the graft region in the presence of ionic solutes. The value of these additives in preparing copolymers suitable for general reagent insolubilisation reactions is discussed.

Deoxyribonucleic acids (DNA), as polyanions, can spontaneously bind with polycations to form polyelectrolyte complexes. When the polycation is a diblock copolymer with one cationic block and one uncharged hydrophilic block, the polyelectrolyte complexes formed with plasmid DNA (pDNA) are often colloidally stable, and show great promise in the field of polymeric gene therapy. While the resulting properties (size, stability, and toxicity to biological systems) of the complexes have been studied for numerous cationic diblocks, the fundamentals of the pDNA-diblock binding process have not been extensively investigated. Herein, we report how the cationic block content of a diblock influences the pDNA-diblock interactions. pDNA with 7164 base pairs and poly(2-deoxy-2-methacrylamido glucopyranose)-block-poly(N-(2-aminoethyl) methacrylamide) (PMAG-b-PAEMA) are used as the model pDNA and cationic diblock, respectively. To vary the cationic block content, two PMAG-b-PAEMA copolymers with similar PMAG block lengths but distinct PAEMA block lengths and a PAEMA homopolymer are utilized. We show that the enthalpy change from pDNA-diblock interactions is dependent on the cationic diblock composition, and is closely associated with both the binding strength and the pDNA tertiary structure.

The geometric frustration phases are investigated for diblock copolymers in nanoparticles with neutral surfaces using real-space self-consistent field theory. First, a rich variety of geometric frustration phases with specific symmetries are observed in the polymer nanoparticles with invariable diameters by constructing the phase diagrams arranged as the volume fraction and Flory-Huggins interaction parameter. Most of the space in the phase diagram is filled with phases with strong symmetries, such as spherical or cubic symmetries, while a number of asymmetric or axisymmetric phases are located in a narrow space in the diagram. Then the geometric frustration phases are examined systematically for the diblock copolymers with special polymer parameters, and a rich variety of novel frustration phases with multilayered structures are observed by varying the diameters of the nanoparticles. Furthermore, the investigations on the free energies indicate that the transitions between these frustrated phases are first-order, and the formation mechanism of the frustration phases is reasonably elucidated. PMID:21417241

The formation of A-B functionalized surfaces, where nanometer sized A and B patches are distinguished for their different physical and chemical properties, represent a rather virgin field of research. We will present a technology for generating nanosized chemical heterogeneous surfaces by combination of self-organization of metal particle containing diblock copolymer micelles and conventional semiconductor etching techniques. Polystrene-block-poly(2-vinylpyridine) diblock copolymers form reverse micelles in toluene, i.e., a core of P2VP is protected by a shell of PS. Such nanocompartments are used for generating metal or semiconductor particles of equal size in each single micelle in solution. The micelle stabilized particles can be cast to mono micellar films, forming quasi hexagonal arranged lattices. The particle to particle distance (10 to 200nm) is controlled by the polymer shell and the particles size (1 to 20nm) by the micellar compartment. After film formation the polymer shell can be removed comp letely by using an oxygen plasma technique resulting in the deposition of the naked clusters on different substrates without destroying the former particle organization. These highly regular metal or semiconducting nanopatches can cover macroscopic areas (5cm x 5cm). The metal patterns are used for binding single makromolecules or as masks for nanolithography. Epitaxially grown semiconductors like GaAs, InGaAs or InP have been structured by islands or holes and their quantisized band structure has been in vestigated.

Two poly[3-(triisopropyloxysilyl)propyl methacrylate]-block-poly[2-(perfluorooctyl)ethyl methacrylate] (PIPSMA-b-PFOEMA) samples and one poly(perfluoropropylene oxide)-block-poly-[3-(triisopropyloxysilyl)propyl methacrylate] (PFPO-b-PIPSMA) sample were synthesized, characterized, and used to coat glass plates. These coatings were formed by evaporating a dilute polymer solution containing HCl, which catalyzed PIPSMA's sol-gel chemistry. Polymer usage was minimized by targeting at diblock copolymer unimolecular (brush) layers that consisted of a sol-gelled grafted PIPSMA layer and an oil- and water-repellant fluorinated surface layer. Investigated is the effect of varying the catalyst amount, polymer amount, as well as block copolymer type and composition on the structure, morphology, and oil- and water-repellency of the coatings. Under optimized conditions, the prepared coatings were optically clear and resistant to writing by a permanent marker. The marker's trace was the faintest on PFPO-b-PIPSMA coatings. In addition, the PFPO-b-PIPSMA coatings were far more wear-resistant than the PIPSMA-b-PFOEMA coatings. PMID:25399630

Microneedles are needle-like projections with microscale features that may be used for transdermal delivery of a variety of pharmacologic agents, including antibacterial agents. In the study described in this paper, an indirect rapid prototyping approach involving a combination of visible light dynamic mask micro-stereolithography and micromolding was used to prepare microneedle arrays out of a biodegradable acid anhydride copolymer, Gantrez® AN 169 BF. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectrometry and nanoindentation studies were performed to evaluate the chemical and mechanical properties of the Gantrez® AN 169 BF material. Agar plating studies were used to evaluate the in vitro antimicrobial performance of these arrays against Bacillus subtilis, Candida albicans, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. Large zones of growth inhibition were noted for Escherichia coli, S. aureus, Enterococcus faecalis and B. subtilis. The performance of Gantrez® AN 169 BF against several bacteria suggests that biodegradable acid anhydride copolymer microneedle arrays prepared using visible light dynamic mask micro-stereolithography micromolding may be useful for treating a variety of skin infections. (communication)

Recently two quite different types of “nano-containers” have been recognized as attractive potential drug carriers; these are wormlike filamenteous micelles (“filomicelles”) on the one hand and metal organic frameworks on the other hand. In this work we combine these two concepts. We report for the first time the manufacturing of metal organic framework nanotubes with a hollow core. These worm-like tubes are about 200 nm thick and several μm long. The preparation is simple: we first produce long and flexible filament-shaped micelles by block copolymer self-assembly. These filomicelles serve as templates to grow a very thin layer of interconnected ZIF-8 crystals on their surface. Finally the block copolymer is removed by solvent extraction and the hollow ZIF-8 nanotubes remain. These ZIF-NTs are surprisingly stable and withstand purification by centrifugation. The synthesis method is straightforward and can easily be applied for other metal organic framework materials. The ZIF-8 NTs exhibit high loading capacity for the model anti cancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) with a pH-triggered release. Hence, a prolonged circulation in the blood stream and a targeted drug release behavior can be expected.

Crystallization in diblock copolymers containing poly(ethylene) (PE) has been studied using small-angle x-ray scattering at the Synchrotron Radiation Source, Daresbury Laboratory, U.K. For block copolymers that form ordered phases in the melt, chain folding of PE on crystallization destroys the melt morphology and the solid structure is found to be lamellar, even if the melt structure is hexagonal-packed cylinders. The orientation of the crystallized PE stems was deduced to be parallel to the lamellar interface on the basis of the orientation of peaks in the wide-angle x-ray scattering pattern with respect to those in the SAXS. For a diblock containing a glassy component, diffuse scattering parallel to the meridian in the SAXS pattern indicates lateral correlations between PE crystallites within the layers of semicrystalline PE and this was modelled using a Markov lattice. These lateral correlations are not present when the non-crystalline component is an amorphous melt. In a diblock with f_PE = 0.35, epitaxial melting of the lamellar solid structure to a hexagonal-packed cylinder structure was observed. The kinetics of crystallization were determined from the time dependence of the SAXS invariant, and found to follow Avrami kinetics with n=3, consistent with nucleation and growth of spherulites.

Poly(styrene)-block-poly(ethylene oxide) (PS- b-PEO) is a semicrystalline block copolymer (BCP) with interesting properties. It is mechanically tough, amphiphilic, and has a polar phase. The mechanical toughness is due to the crystallinity of PEO and the high glass transition temperature of PS, as well as the morphological structure of the BCP. The polymer has high CO2, water, and salt solubility that derive from the polar PEO component. Potential applications include CO2 separation, water purification, and lithium air batteries. In all of the aforementioned applications, water transport is an important parameter. The presence of water can also affect thermal and mechanical properties. Water transport and thermal and mechanical properties of a lamellar PS- b-PEO copolymer have been measured as a function of water activity. Water transport can be affected by the heterogeneous nature of a semicrystalline BCP. Therefore, Fourier transform infrared - attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR) spectroscopy has been employed, because water transport and polymer swelling can be measured simultaneously. The effect of BCP structure on transport has been investigated by comparing water transport in PS- b-PEO to a PEO homopolymer. The crystalline content of the PEO and the presence of glassy PS lamellae will be used to explain the transport results.

Full Text Available Dimer acid (DA was grafted onto lignin (EHL to form a graft copolymer DA-g-EHL. The selection of the reaction type and the optimization of the reaction conditions for the grafting reaction were conducted through orthogonal and single factor experiments. FT-IR and thermal analysis were used to characterize the graft product. It was found that, compared with free radical grafting, DA can be grafted onto EHL more effectively by ester condensation with strongly acidic cation exchange resin as a catalyst. Under optimum reaction conditions, the increase of acid value and the yield of graft copolymer can reach about 9.3% and 83%, respectively. The application of DA-g-EHL in preparing modified phenolic aldehyde amine curing agent (PAA was studied. Results showed that the flexibility of the epoxy resin cured by DA-g-EHL modified PAA is significant higher than that of the resin cured by EHL modified PAA. The graft of DA onto EHL may reduce the rigidity of EHL and the chain stiffness of the PAA modified by EHL.

Two ethylene-octene copolymers (POE) were irradiated with 60Co gamma radiation and influence of irradiation atmosphere, absorbed dose and heat treatment of samples on the crosslinking were studied. Thermal properties and crystalline morphology of non-irradiated and irradiated POE were determined by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXS), respectively. The Charlesby-Pinner equation was used to describe the relationship between absorbed dose and sol fraction. The gel fraction of irradiated POE was lower and decreased with the increase of octene content when irradiated in oxygen, compared to irradiation in nitrogen atmosphere. The gel fraction increased significantly with the increasing of absorbed dose for the two copolymers. Heat treatment of samples prohibited the crosslinking of irradiated POE. The DSC results indicated that a subtle change of thermal properties of POE was observed before and after gamma irradiation at low dose. No change was found from the WAXS spectra of non-irradiated and irradiated POE. For heat-treating samples, the Charlesby-Pinner equation can not fit perfectly with the relationship between the sol fraction and absorbed dose, but it fits well with the crosslinking reaction of POE pellets

DOE-GTRC-05596 11/24/2104 Collaborative Research: Process-Resolving Decomposition of the Global TemperatureResponse to Modes of Low Frequency Variability in a Changing Climate PI: Dr. Yi Deng (PI) School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Georgia Institute of Technology 404-385-1821, yi.deng@eas.gatech.edu El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Annular Modes (AMs) represent respectively the most important modes of low frequency variability in the tropical and extratropical circulations. The projection of future changes in the ENSO and AM variability, however, remains highly uncertain with the state-of-the-science climate models. This project conducted a process-resolving, quantitative evaluations of the ENSO and AM variability in the modern reanalysis observations and in climate model simulations. The goal is to identify and understand the sources of uncertainty and biases in models’ representation of ENSO and AM variability. Using a feedback analysis method originally formulated by one of the collaborative PIs, we partitioned the 3D atmospheric temperature anomalies and surface temperature anomalies associated with ENSO and AM variability into components linked to 1) radiation-related thermodynamic processes such as cloud and water vapor feedbacks, 2) local dynamical processes including convection and turbulent/diffusive energy transfer and 3) non-local dynamical processes such as the horizontal energy transport in the oceans and atmosphere. In the past 4 years, the research conducted at Georgia Tech under the support of this project has led to 15 peer-reviewed publications and 9 conference/workshop presentations. Two graduate students and one postdoctoral fellow also received research training through participating the project activities. This final technical report summarizes key scientific discoveries we made and provides also a list of all publications and conference presentations resulted from research activities at Georgia Tech. The main findings include